Moments
by Princess Andromeda II
Summary: A series of random moments in the Percy Jackson series: some are found in the books, some I wrote myself. There WILL be moments from "The Hidden Oracle", so watch out for MINOR spoilers! This is a series of blurbs, so each chapter will be no more than 200 words. Please give it a try, as each chapter will be short and easy to read. Give me an idea for a chapter and I will write it!
1. Vigilance

It had been too long. Far too long. Eight months, in fact. And he was growing restless.

"Where is it?" he asked, his sea green eyes anxiously scanning the skies above. It looked like a storm was approaching. A faint wind rustled his already-unruly dark hair.

"Don't worry," said the burly boy beside him, a bow slung over one shoulder.

The girl to his right nodded, her head only reaching his shoulder."It'll be here soon," she soothed, her golden eyes consoling.

But the raven-haired young man barely heard either of them, for he had spotted something in the distance: a looming ship, descending from the silver-lined clouds like some sort of heavenly body. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine seeing her standing at the bow, her golden curls swirling about her face. Her gray eyes would be closed too...

His sea green eyes shot up, the old light rekindled in them.

"She's here," said Percy, gazing at the ship. "Annabeth is here."


	2. Mythomagic

"No, that's not how you do it."

"What? But I already got the Zeus Zap," the boy said to the other, confused.

The younger shook his head, exasperated. "Yes, but now you have to power up."

"How?"

"By trading your weakest figure! Come on, Grover!"

"Sorry, Nico," the older said meekly, scanning his collection of figurines. "Urm, which one is the weakest again?"

"Dionysius, but it's ok, because I wanted him anyway." He plucked a card from his own holographic deck as the satyr handed over his figure.

"Who did I get?" Grover asked, glancing at his new possession.

"Apollo!" the young boy exclaimed, passion dancing in his eyes brightly. "He's so cool! He's got 4,000 attack points, but only if I attack first."

"Ok, so-" Grover was cut off as he saw Percy exiting Artemis's tent, the goddess and her Hunters following. "Oh, sorry buddy, looks like we'll have to finish later, ok?"

Nico nodded. "Ok. But only if I get to roll the holodice first!"


	3. Future

"So what did you want to talk about?" the young man asked casually, his unruly dark hair moving as he flopped down on the fountain's edge beside his girlfriend.

She took a deep breath. "College. Jobs. Kids. Everything, I guess."

He furrowed his brow in concern. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"No, Seaweed Brain!" she laughed, a brief break from the necessary attentiveness. "I will always love you. I only meant, what is the future going to look like for us?"

Absentmindedly he traced his shoe in the dirt. "What were you thinking?"

Their eyes met, sea green and gray, and there was nothing but love. "Maybe we could finish up high school in NYC, and then, maybe, go to college. Together. In New Rome. And then-"

Percy whooped loudly, and Annabeth slapped him playfully on the arm.

"Hush, Seaweed Brain," she giggled, still grinning as she glanced around. "You're too loud! Look, here comes Nico: to tell you to be quiet, I bet."


	4. Strangers

She opened her eyes. Up above, she could see the misty tops of tree branches, possibly pine. She could hear birds chirping in an offkey symphony, the wind whistling through the trees as it breezed through the branches.

Strangers. Everywhere. Everywhere she looked, all around her, were strangers. She didn't recognize anyone, a fact that frightened her more than she cared to admit to herself.

"Thalia."

Her name; she heard it. How could that be? Surely, she was dead. The hellhounds had been numerous enough to make up an army, and more than enough to finish her off, alone in those woods that night.

So what was she doing still alive?

"Thalia," the voice repeated, warm and gentle. A face appeared above hers, similarly open and kind. "Don't worry. You're going to be alright. Just-"

He was cut off by another voice, belonging to a new face in the hovering crowd. She turned her head to see a boy with dark hair and sea green eyes.  
"Hi. I'm Percy."


	5. Dam

"Percy - Gotta Go!"

"What kind of name is 'Percy Gotta-go'?" she asked, but the boy was gone.

"Dam it!" she muttered, watching his receding form as he ran towards the elevator, slipping inside the doors as they closed.

She sighed. For one moment, it had seemed like she was on the verge of adventure. To have something exciting in her life would have meant a brief recess from a life with no friends, lots of money, and half-rate parents.

Rachel folded her hands inside her jacket, lingering in the underground of the Hoover Dam for a moment longer before heading towards the elevator. As she stepped inside, she found herself squeezing through the dense crowd, smushed next to the park ranger, a woman with sharp gray eyes and dark hair. They shared a brief smile before the doors opened with a ding once more, and Rachel stepped outside, setting off across the dam's walkway.

As she walked, she tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket again, and her fingers brushed something crinkly and thin. She pulled it out, and discovered that it was a piece of paper reading:

"Goode High School, New York City."


	6. Welcome

Her eyes passed critically over the three new recruitments; they all looked so disoriented, that she nearly found herself pitying them. Almost.

 _Hmmm_... she thought as she scanned one of the three newbies, a scrawny boy with curly hair and elfish features. He wouldn't be very good for what she was interested in, but he could certainly entertain her every now and then if she chose to make him uncomfortable.

The next boy was a big improvement: tall, blonde, and blue-eyed. As she went down her mental list of what she usually looked for in a guy, she found herself marking a check next to each box. She would definitely be visiting his cabin later...once he was claimed and they knew his godly parent, of course.

So both boys were satisfactory, but the girl...she would have to go. She sensed competition in her: something about her features - the color-changing eyes, the effortless hair, the bold personality - made her uneasy, and she knew she would have trouble from this girl.

"Well," said Drew, sniffing with huff as she turned her nose up at the new girl, "I hope they're worth the trouble."


	7. Guard

Bonfires always scared Frank; the idea of them hit too close to home.

Being near fire, intentionally? No thanks! There were too many possible opportunities for things to go wrong, and with his life on the line, the chance of being near a huge, blazing fire for a long period of time was not a risk he was willing to take.

"You comin', Frank?" an older centurion asked as she walked past him at his post.

"No, thanks, I'm good," he responded automatically, not even pausing long enough to really think about it. He'd been asked on other bonfire nights, and each time, his answer was the same.

"You sure? I hear it's supposed to be extra lit tonight!"

Frank subconsciously felt his fingers locate and tighten around the small hunk of wood that he always kept in his pocket. It made him feel safer knowing he had it, where he could keep an eye on it at all times.

He smiled, though it was clenched and forced.

"Yeah, I'm sure. After all," he said, straightening up rigidly and giving a goofy salute, "someone has to guard the camp against the rest of the world!"


	8. Tea

"Two teaspoons of sugar, please," she requested, holding out her cup. "Thank you."

She smiled as the servant dropped in the cubes, and lifted the cup to her lips, sipping the tea daintily. It warmed her to the core, and she breathed in deeply.

Although she couldn't see her invisible servants - for obvious reasons - she could still imagine a young girl graciously bowing her head with a smile as she scooped the sugar out before backing away.

For that reason, and others, she liked to think that she had a good imagination. She figured one had to stay light-hearted and open-minded in a situation like this - no one to talk to, no one to see, no one to touch - and stay somewhat sane.

Still, it got tedious being alone after all this time, forever cursed and exiled on this island, which by now had become home. But is a home really a home if it's also your prison?

She let out a sigh, her breath carrying a faint hint of sugar. She tasted her tea once more before holding it out politely, and saying, "Tea is always better with a little bit of honey."


	9. Crush

"Come on, you stupid idiot," she called, throwing bits and pieces of her bread crust at the boy in front of her.

Although her target didn't react, the boy beside him did.

"That's redundant," the curly-headed boy said. "An idiot that's stupid is kind of implied."

In response, she dumped the remaining contents of the last few chips from her bag onto his head.

He closed his eyes, breathing slowly, and attempted to brush the crumbs from his hair. She let out a snort when she saw that that only tangled most of the bits into his hair even more.

"Seriously, Nancy?" the first boy said, finally turning around, and all she could think was _Yes! Success!_ "Do you really have to pick on me and Grover like that?"

"Percy, dude, let it go," said his friend, placing a calming hand on his shoulder, and she was surprised to see him visibly deflate.

"Whatever, Nancy," the raven-haired boy said, turning back around to face forward.

Again, all she could think was: _It's all just because I have a crush on you, you idiot!_


	10. Death

One would think, after years of having the same job, he would finally get used to it. Certainly, a few millennia was enough to make any adjustments to the work environment.

But not for Thanatos.

Each dead soul that passed through the Doors he guarded was just as fresh and raw as the last. He had watched as billions upon billions of souls had entered and exited the Doors, but he still wasn't emotionally detached from it.

No, to him, it was all the more important that he hold on to the faces of each person, for once that person was forgotten, did he or she truly exist? To date, he had remembered the life of every single soul, and he intended to keep his tradition, as long as his memory allowed.

At that moment, he felt another round of sharp pricks sting his body, like the bite of a needle, only ten times more painful. Not only did the pain last, but it was everywhere on him, all at once. It could only mean another hundred or so deaths.

He gritted his teeth, closing his eyes solemnly. "One hundred billion down, one hundred billion to go."


	11. Cards

She drew a card from the deck, nodding at the other girl to take her turn. The other girl glanced at her hand, and pulled out a card and showed it to her.

Upon seeing the number, she shook her head, and the girl pulled a card from the draw pile. Although she didn't say anything, she couldn't help but think: _Go Fish._

Their card game was interrupted by a commotion outside their glass prison: Phorcys was back, and it looked like he was back with more guests. There three males: a satyr and two demigods. She could sense the ocean in both, though one more so than the other, and yet it was strange. One boy was Roman, the other Greek. She couldn't recall the last time she had seen the two breeds in the same _room,_ let alone as friends.

She shrugged listlessly, her drugged lethargy catching up to her, and returned to her game. A little while later, the group raced past again, and one of the boys stopped and looked straight at her.

"I'll be back," he promised, and though she made no sign of understanding him, her heart understood perfectly.


	12. Honest

He couldn't believe it: he was going to be a father. Things this wonderful didn't happen to satyrs like him. He remembered when his wife broke the news to him through an Iris Message, how she'd been laughing and crying along with him through tears of joy. But now, things weren't looking so joyful for the two.

"What is with men and the glory of battle?" His wife asked impatiently, though there was no real anger there. "Why can't you just be content with coming home and being with me?"

"Come on, babe," he told her gently, not wanting her to be angry with him before going off to fight. "You know it's not like that!"

The aura sniffed, holding back her tears for fear of misting herself over. "Promise me you'll come home soon?"

He found himself nodding, though he didn't think he could really promise such a thing. "I will. But, uh, we're going into battle, and it may get ugly. You just _stay safe_. I'll get back. Honest."

Gleeson cut Millie off at the sound of a knock and a voice at the door: "Hey, Coach?"


	13. Hey

"Hey, Beauty Queen." He sat down on the bench next to her.

"Hey, Repair Boy." She looked up at him and smirked.

A long pause.

"Hey, Leo?"

He nodded. "Hey."

"No, I meant 'hey' as in - "

"I just said 'hey'," he told her, seemingly puzzled.

"I know, but when you sat down, you said 'hey', and I thought - "

"So, what? Would you rather I use the word 'hello' instead?"

She shook her head. "No! I didn't say that! I just - "

"Gods, Piper," he said with a roll of his eyes. "You don't have to be such a drama queen about everything."

"Hey!" she huffed, growing angry.

"Hey," he responded, fiddling absentmindedly with his tool belt.  
"Ugh!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air. She turned to look the other way, away from Leo. That idiot.

Suddenly, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. "Hey, Beauty Queen?"

She gave him a quick glance. "Hey."

"Sorry."

With a small smile, she looked up at him and said, "Hey, Leo."

"Yeah, Piper?"

"Hey."


	14. Burp

"Bwaaaap."

The centaur looked up, one hand frozen above the checker piece. "Did you say something, Mr. D?"

"No, I didn't." The grumpy man glanced up, a sour expression on his face. "Why?"

Chiron shook his head, trying to keep himself from sighing while he moved his piece. "Never mind."

"That's what I thought," the god said as he plucked his pawn from the board and dropped it onto an empty black square. As he did, he let another loud burp leak out, carrying the stale stench of diet Coke with it.

"Mr. D, really!" the centaur exclaimed, shaking his head in exasperation. "Is that really necessary?"

The god of wine smirked mischievously, an expression that looked more like a grimace, and nodded emphatically. "Absolutely."

Once again repressing his urge to sigh, Chiron only moved his piece swiftly to a diagonal square, admitting defeat with a simple, "Very well then." He glanced down at the board, and up at his opponent. "Your turn."

"Hmm." His eyes swept the board, and when he spotted an ideal piece, the pompous god slammed down a red checker. "Checkmate!" he exclaimed with an overly enthusiastic burp.


	15. Waves

"Look, Percy."

"At what? The sunset?"

"No," his mother said patiently, pointing across the beach to the water that welcomed it. "At the waves."

He nodded, his mind and eyes wide open. "Okay. I see them. Now what?"

Sally gazed down at her son, smiling with such warmth that nobody could have guessed what a cool night it was on Montauk Beach. The breeze bit at their bare, sand-covered toes, sweeping their dark hair across their foreheads.

"Now you wave to them."

He scoffed, being at the age when one must decide whether to be a child or an adult. Waving to water? It sounded ridiculous, even to a 7-year-old.

"Why would I do a thing like that?" Percy asked, his nose scrunched up.

"Just trust me," his mother told him, a look in her eyes that was incomprehensible to a 7-year-old like himself. "Wave to the waves, and you will always feel close to your father."

Percy started, surprised to hear Sally mention his father, but mimicked her movements anyway. Together, mother and son stood facing the sunset, waving to the waves, both imagining that a man was standing there with them.


	16. Snow

The snow was especially powdery, and it spread across the forest like a frozen sea, strangling the tree trunks in a suffocating grasp. Daggers of crystal ice dangled precariously from the trees, adding to the eerie stillness and stifling silence that comes with freshly-fallen snow.

She used to love the snow. When she was younger, she would run out into the field behind their home, her younger brother and sister traipsing behind her. Together, they would toss a handful of powder up into the air and laugh in hysteria as it rained down on them again.

But now, the tracker could only associate the weather with the accident, the reason why she had joined the Hunt.

Now, she knelt to the ground, her knee sinking into the pillow below her as she scooped up a handful of snow, grasping it in her hand. There, rebelliously lying amongst the white powder, was a single dark hair, which, upon further inspection, she identified as belonging to a manticore.

"Phoebe!" Someone called, and she turned at the sound of her name.

"This way," She announced, pointing across the forest as she set off into the winter wonderland, the Hunt traipsing behind her.


	17. Houston

" _Hace mucho calor hoy en Houston , ¿no?_ "

"No, Papá," laughed a middle-aged woman to the right of the old man fanning himself. "That's just you being _un viejo tonto nervioso_."

" _Silencio_ ," he huffed, rocking back in his chair. "Be quiet. I am about to meet my great-grandson for the first time. Do I not have a right to be _muy nervioso_?"

Before his daughter could answer him, the rickety screen door that was missing all of its mesh creaked open, and a woman stepped out onto the porch where her mother and grandfather sat, sipping lemonade and enjoying the air.

"Houston," she announced, kneeling down next to them as she cradled something in her arms, "we have a problem, and his name is Leo Valdez."


	18. Twins

He drove steadily, years - no, millennia - of experience allowing him to navigate the path on instinct and muscle memory alone.

Down below him, he saw a troop of teenagers standing around, looking frazzled by the harsh light. Their confusion gravitated around a slight figure at the center, a silver beacon who acted as a calming force: the eye of the storm.

"Little sister!" he cried jauntily, a brilliant grin on his face as he met the throng on the ground. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"

He couldn't help the smile that lit up his face - literally - at her exasperated expression.

"I'm fine, Apollo," Artemis answered with a sigh. "And I am not your _little_ sister."

They both knew that of course. But it was part of their relationship, amongst the constant bickering and teasing, that made each sibling love the other one so much.

"Hey, I was born first," he insisted, trying to force his mouth into a straight line.

"We're twins!" she flamed, and at that moment, both of them shared a knowing grin, the kind that only the closest brother and sister would understand.


	19. Lovers

They stood side by side, just like they always had: a pair of lovers defending themselves against a world filled with monsters, both human and not.

Although they still stood together, their stance was different now. Before he had been bulky and muscular, she petite and graceful; both were now nothing more than two slabs of marble, inscribed with loving words of remembrance, decorated by flower bouquets, and adorned by commemorative artifacts.

As the young man trudged up the slope to meet the two lovers, all alone on top of their hill watching over camp, he couldn't help but feel a bit intrusive, as if he was interrupting a private party. Apparently, the third-wheel mindset was still possible, even in death.

The breeze swept his dark hair into his face, and he pushed it away from his sea green eyes. As he knelt down before the two gravestones and traced his fingers over the inscribed names - Charles and Silena - his mouth parted to whisper repressed words of remorse and regret to both of them.

He didn't stay long, for he knew he would be back again next week to visit the two eternal lovers once more.


	20. Snack

He always ate a snack after school.

A fresh batch of cookies, set out just for him. They were slightly burnt, but their crispiness was what made them.

A platter of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut into triangular slices, the crust already pre-peeled. She had placed them in a detailed arrangement, fanning out clockwise from the center of the platter. Clockwise, just how he liked them.

A pitcher of red Kool-Aid, sitting out on the speckled countertop. A plastic wrap was placed on top, to keep out the flies, and a clean glass waited next to the pitcher, eager to be filled up for the young boy on his way home from school.

But he never came home.

And he never ate a snack after school again.


	21. Car

"Good afternoon, ma'am."

"Oh. Um. Hi."

"Are you here with your father?"

"No."

"Your mother?"

"N-n-no. Just me."

"I see. Well, what can I help you with?"

"Just looking at your cars."

"Excellent. Are you in the market?"

"Not exactly."

"Hmm. Well, are you looking for anything in particular?"

"Not really."

"Not to be rude but, what are you doing at a car dealership? You're parents aren't here, and you're nearly too young to drive, let alone buy one yourself."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Pardon?"

"I wondered if I could ask you a question. A favor, actually."

"Alright."

"It's going to sound sort of strange."

"Alright."

"And kind of crazy."

"Ask away, miss."

"Can I borrow a car?"

"..."

"Sir? Are you alright?"

"Ah, yes. I'm fine, thank you. But... _borrow_? Ah! Perhaps you mean rent?"

"No, sir. I mean borrow."  
"Borrow?"

"Borrow. It's only for a few hours! I'll take any car in your lot. Any model. And I promise to return it in great condition!"

"So, as a _favor_ , you want to _borrow_ a car, for 24 hours?"

"Or less."

"I really don't think..."

" _Please!_ "

"...Well, why not. After all, it is only a few hours!"


	22. Tattoo

The room held an atmosphere of anticipation, mingled with a little fear; perhaps that was due to the dimmed lighting in the room, or the faint aroma of ink and incense that wafted around lazily.

The man, not one to be intimidated by mediocre things, didn't even blink at the ginormous needle lying on the table next to him.

"Alright," said the heavily-pierced employee as he flopped down onto a stool and patted a reclined chair. "What are you getting?"

The customer obediently lay down in the chair and closed his eyes, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. "A rainbow."

The worker paused long enough to blink and scrunch his nose up incredulously. " A rainbow tattoo?"

The demigod let out a noise like a low grunt, and peeped one eye open lazily. "You got a problem with that?"

Although the mortal looked capable of defending himself, his eyes widened as his customer flexed, so he just shook his head and kept one eye fixated on the man's bicep as he inked on the design.

"What did you say your name was?" he asked when he was finished.

"Butch."

"Well, Butch, I give you, your new rainbow tattoo!"


	23. Recruit

"We're almost there!" cried the satyr, glancing behind him to look at a little girl wrapped in a muddy hoodie, and the troop of Cyclopes trailing them.

Up ahead they saw a few blazing torches, and a lone guard pacing back and forth, armed with a spear.

"Help!" shouted the satyr. "I've got a demigod and a dozen monsters behind me!"

Wasting no time, the guard leapt forward, scooping up the little girl and carrying her inside the camp's border. The satyr followed, but not before blowing a raspberry at the monsters trudging away.

Satisfied, he turned to the girl and saw tears running down her face. He was a tough old goat (in more ways than one) but was not devoid of sympathy.

"Hey, kid," he softened, kneeling beside her and wiping away a tear. "It's all ok. We're gonna -"

He stopped at the sound of approaching hooves, and stood as a centaur entered the clearing. "Gleeson Hedge! Who is this?"

"A new recruit, sir. All the way from Arizona."

Chiron looked to her. "What's your name, child?"

"Clarisse," she whispered. Hedge squeezed her hand affectionately.

"Well, Clarisse," Chiron reassured, "things will get better soon. I promise."


	24. Shades

He distantly observed the shades, as they faded into the background of the gray field like shadows of the people they once were. His dark eyes desperately scanned the landscape, searching for a ray of light in this land of dismal dread.

A raspy breath escaped from his lungs; she wasn't here. She must have chosen rebirth after all. With the Doors being open he had hoped... Well, it didn't matter now. His sister was gone. Forever.

Suddenly compelled to wander off the path, he arrived at the base of a gnarly, overhanging tree. Tucked away in a nook of the tree's roots was a shade - a young girl, perhaps 13 years old. Her skin and hair were cinnamon, the same hue as the tree she rested wearily against, and were it not for her stunning gold eyes, he may have not noticed her at all.

"You're a daughter of Hades, aren't you?" he asked her.

She glanced up, startled, but regained her composure. "Pluto, actually." Her gold eyes narrowed into two slits. "Who are you?"

Nico smiled, something he hadn't done in a while, and offered the girl a hand. "Your new brother."


	25. Goodbye

She packed her bag quietly, mentally checking off items as she stuffed them furiously into an overweight backpack. An extra pair of shoes. A flashlight. Batteries. A few hundred bucks. Pepper spray.

Her bag all packed, she crept silently to her door and peeked out into the hallway. Empty. She could hear her the stifled sounds of her father and stepmother snoring in the next room, and her twin half-brothers murmuring in their sleep. She certainly wouldn't miss that.

Padding quickly down the stairs, the seven-year-old arrived at the door and turned the knob. Biting her lip, she hesitated and turned around.

As much as she would miss her father, she knew she couldn't stay. She had already endangered her family too much and was convinced they hated her for it.

She was tempted to go back upstairs and kiss her father on the forehead, just to see his face one last time, but she knew he was a light sleeper, and that might endanger her whole heist.

No sooner had Annabeth thought the words then she heard her father's bedroom door open, and she was out of the house, racing down the street towards the nearest bus station.


	26. Pregnant

18 years ago, she'd stood in a bathroom as plain and ordinary as the one she was in now. In her hand she'd gripped a digital stick, her knuckles turning white as she waited for the result. Another hand, rough and tanned, had slid gently over hers, their fingers intertwined. Anxiously, they'd doted over the stick as the minutes slowly ticked by. Finally, a second line had appeared next to the first, confirming what she had suspected. After reassuring him several times that, yes, the second line did indeed mean she was pregnant, the woman with soft brown hair had embraced the man with sea-green eyes as he caressed her stomach.

Now, 18 years later, Sally Jackson stood in another bathroom, with another man and another pregnancy test. The wait was no less agonizing than it had been the first time; that certainly hadn't changed, nor had the way the man who loved her, and whom she loved, wrapped his arms around her, promising love and protection, no matter the test's result. The only real difference - besides the man and the location - was that now, instead of a pair of lines, the test flashed the words "pregnant".


	27. Prank

"Did you bring the toothpaste?"

"Yeah, it's right here."

"And the hedgehog?"

There was a rattling sound, like someone shaking a cage with something inside. "Check."

"Nice. What about the Fruit Loops? You stole them from the dining pavilion this morning, right?"

"Right. Check."

"Ok, and did you remember the Magic Markers?"

"...the what?"

"The Magic Markers."

"Um."

"Don't tell me your forgot them!"

"Define "forgot"..."

"Ugh! Never mind. It's too late to back out now. We'll just have to make due with what we've got I guess."

With that, the two Stolls stole into the night, straying from the safety and familiarity of Cabin 11. Slinking along the row of cabins, they were nothing but two shadows, armed with every item imaginable, from shoelaces and spray-tan-in-a-bottle to barbecue sauce and a toy lightsaber.

Under the cover of night, the two mischievous brothers laid their trap, working in terrifying synchronization, until the plan was planted, and they scurried off to see what daylight would bring them the next morning.

As it so happened, sunlight only brought the wrathful wail of Katie Gardner from Cabin 4 screaming bloody murder across the green lawn to the Stoll brothers of Cabin 11.


	28. Security

Sipping his coffee was all the security guard at the Empire State Building felt like he ever did. Which was to say, nothing.

Sure, occasionally he would get a few stray mortals that would wander in drunk after midnight, or a person who was _not_ on the waiting list would burst into the lobby, pleading to go to Mount Olympus or the 600th floor.

Of course, a floor of that nature really existed, but whenever someone who shouldn't know about it knew about it... Well, that was when he took matters into his own hands, or called for backup. Neither was pleasant.

Overall, it felt like a pretty useless job. The pay was nothing to complain about, but it wasn't something to gloat about either. And the hours weren't horrible; every few decades he would get the day off, not counting sick days, of course.

But other than the mediocre healthcare benefits and the yearly bonus that magically appeared on his desk, there weren't many perks to the position. "I'm a security guard" wasn't exactly the greatest pick-up line.

The guard's misery (and Harry Potter book) were suddenly interrupted by a tattered 12-year-old boy saying, "Six hundredth floor."


	29. Forest

The serene sounds of the forest were disturbed by the snapping of twigs and leaves crunching underfoot. The small herd of deer that had been nibbling on a patch of mosses nearby scattered as a young man - half-human, half-goat - tore through the underbrush.

"I'll never find Pan," wept the young satyr as he collapsed on a pile of leaves, shoved against a tree. "Never, never."

"Don't say that," cooed a voice, interrupting his sobs. "You should never say never."

The satyr, startled, glanced around him, sitting up against the tree. "Who said that?"

"Here."

All of a sudden, the tree that he had been sitting against _moved,_ and he scrambled backwards as a figure seemed to emerge from the bark, like a siren from a lagoon.

She was a petite creature, with glossy hair of amber and elfish features that sent his heart thumping fast in his chest.

"Who are you?" gaped the satyr, taken aback at the new person present, but more so at her unbelievably _natural_ beauty.

"I'm the dryad who lives in this tree," she explained, gesturing behind her. "Who are you?"

"Grover. I'm a satyr."

"Nice to meet you, Grover. My name's Juniper."


	30. Breathe

He took a deep breath.

His shoulders were tensed, his spine rigid. It was as if his entire body was a tightly-wound coil, ready to spring free at any moment. But no matter how he wanted to, he had to wait until he heard the blow horn before he could dive.

So, instead of dwelling on the race before him, he took another deep breath to calm his nerves.

 _Breathe_ , he told himself.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched as the referee took his position by the pool's edge. In his hand he held a stopwatch,exact enough to halt the instant the button was pressed.

 _Deep breaths_ , the young man told himself as he took his starting position on the platform, a sort of crouched kneel in which he gripped the edge of the starting block. His knuckles, white and tensed, bore the scars of several wars and quests, and his exposed back, tan in the sun, was a similar slate.

 _Breathe_ , he told himself again.

He closed his eyes as the referee raised his watch.

 _Breathe, Percy_.

The sound of a blow horn blared across the pool, and he took a deep breath.


	31. Constellations

"What's that one called?"

"That's Cygnus, the Swan."

"Nice," he said, glancing around curiously. He extended a finger to his right, indicating another constellation. "That one?"

"A lion," she answered with a nod, her dark hair falling into her face. "Ironically, it's called Leo."

This warranted a short bark of laughter from him, and she grinned as his electric blue eyes lit up, rivalling the stars as the desert's only source of illumination.

"Do that again."

She glanced up at him in surprise. "Do what again?"

"Smile. I like it when you smile," he admitted, his tone completely sincere, if a little shy. "You have a beautiful smile. _You_ are beautiful," he breathed.

Both seemed taken aback by what he'd just said. Although they'd only known each other for three months, the two of them - and Leo - had become friends quickly. Now Piper wondered if that relationship was developing into something more.

However, the mood seemed to die as the blonde cleared his throat and went back to stargazing. He pointed directly above them, to a single point of light that stood out from the rest.

"That one's really bright. Which star is that?"

"Jason...that's a helicopter."


	32. Leopard

A lot went on in the main room of the Big House.

Of course, a lot more probably went on elsewhere, but for him, it was enough just to stay there his entire life: unable to leave, to get up and stretch, or to go take a shower and groom his once-magnificent coat of fur.

But he shouldn't complain. Life here was good. Much better than before anyway; after he'd died the first time, his head had been chopped off, and he'd been stowed away in a filthy garage, never seeing the light of day until finally, he was rescued and recalled to life.

And what a life it was! Juicy gossip practically every day, about the newest quest or war, who was the latest victim of an Aphrodite kid's affections, or why all the toilets were filled with a suspicious substance.

Undoubtedly the best part about the leopard's constant presence in that room was the steady supply of snausages he was fed, whether it was from Chiron or a demigod passing through. Even now, he was woken from his slumber by a young, squat girl trying to land snausages in his mouth as Chiron and another boy chatted.


	33. Lipstick

She applied a thick coat of ruby red lipstick to the previous three layers she'd applied, wielding the golden tube like a scepter rather than a simple makeup tool.

Of course, considering who her father was - not to mention who she herself was - she could be called royalty in a certain sense.

With a somewhat weary sigh, she tossed the tube of lipstick into her leather purse, made from the hide of real drakon, which had cost more than she cared to admit. She glanced forlornly out the window, watching the desert landscape roll by; being a goddess had its perks, except for when one had to get tangled into mortal affairs. _Then_ things could really get ugly.

"Driver," she called up front, raising a delicate gloved hand. "Stop here, please," she said as they pulled up to a small group of demigods who were talking to a biker.

She patiently waited as they chatted some more, until finally, one of the demigods, a boy with dark hair and sea green eyes, opened the limousine's door and climbed in.

"Ah, there you are, Percy," she said with a regal smile that only promised trouble. "I am Aphrodite."


	34. Envelope

"Where is it?" she muttered to herself as she sorted frantically through the trunk at the edge of her bed. She had been meaning to write to Charles's family ever since... Well, ever since the accident.

"I know I put my stationery in here somewhere... What's this?" she said with quiet surprise as her hand scraped something firm that felt like paper.

Pushing a few dark strands of hair out of her face, she pulled the item out, the stationery long forgotten; it was an envelope, cream and crisp, like it had just been placed in the trunk recently, as it wasn't in the least bit crumpled. There wasn't a name, address or message written on the front either.

 _That's odd_ , she thought as she turned it over in her hand. Suddenly, she dropped it from her hand with a gasp, letting the envelope fall unceremoniously to the floor.

On the back side of the envelope was a red seal, just like royalty and important people used for official business. Stamped into the seal was a symbol, a symbol that bore into Silena's color-changing eyes and kept her awake for many days and weeks and months afterwards:

A sickle.


	35. Fire

He awoke in a sudden sweat, his bed surrounded by a wall of flames.

It seemed as if the whole world was on fire through the eyes of an eight-year-old boy like himself, the curtains furled with smoke, the bed sheets sizzling like a frying pan, and the old wardrobe - a family heirloom - was nearly unrecognizable.

"Mom!" he called as he stumbled out of his room; unfortunately, the path to his mother's room was unreachable through the blockade of fire that had risen up.

Flinging open the doors to the workshop, his hands seemed to warm themselves suddenly, but he ignored the feeling as he dashed through the room, frantically calling his mother's name. "Esperanza!"

Through the sound of crackling flames, he thought he could hear her crying out for him "Mijo! Where are you?"

"Here!" He gasped, sitting up in bed with a lurch. He clasped his hands - both of them throbbing faintly, as if they still burned - to his heart, and forced it to calm itself.

He reminded himself that he was fifteen now, and should no longer be haunted by such nightmares. "It was just a dream, Leo. Only a dream."


	36. Cavern

She was so close.

The creature's spinnerets snapped as the blonde was pulled closer to her, her ankle not even a spindle of spider silk's length away. The daughter of Athena was so close to her mouth that she could practically imagine what a fulfilling meal the young demigod would be.

But all of the monster's hopes of a nice meal and a clean victory were dashed when suddenly, the cavern above her head collapsed, and a hailstorm of ridiculously expensive Italian sports cars rained down upon her. Some landed with a satisfying _crunch_ on the ground, and others seemed to bounce off the Athena Parthenos with ease, like the 40-foot statue contained a force field. It got even better when, like an angel falling from Heaven, ared car that she somehow managed to identify as a Fiat 500 throttled towards her.

She barely had time to register how painful the impact would be before the car collided with her face; she found herself falling, down, down, down, into the black abyss below...

As Arachne spiraled into the inky black nothingness called Tartarus, there was only one thought on her mind:

 _Revenge on Annabeth Chase_.


	37. Wandering

"Mary," he muttered, the word hot under his breath. "Mary. Mary."

His fingers, caked with mud, the tips of his nails nothing but crescents of dirt, brushed the wall to his right as he stumbled along, a blank stare on his tan face as his brown eyes searched absentmindedly for the maze's exit. Most maze's were simple for a demigod to leave; quite elementary.

But this labyrinth was different.

It did things to his mind, scrambling his thoughts like an unsolvable jigsaw puzzle, until all he was able to do was rely on muscle memory and habit to get him out. So while the son of Hermes's body seemed to resort to the only tactic it knew, his mind was on autopilot, and could only seem to remember the name "Mary"... whoever that was.

"Mary," he whispered again, his voice raw from the repetition of it, over and over again. "Mary."

That flow of that name was interrupted by another appellation, spoken by another demigod with brown hair and eyes: "Chris? Chris Rodriguez?!"

The wandering demigod stopped instantly, his hand frozen in a sweeping motion, and the girl spoke again, somewhat timidly. "It's me. Clarisse. Don't you recognize me?"


	38. Stapler

The raggedy teddy bear that the two-year-old boy had been slobbering on suddenly became very uninteresting and dull, through no fault of the stuffed animal. After all, how was a worn-out bear like him supposed to compete with the shiny, black metallic thing perched precariously on the edge of a nearby table?

With a squeal that rivaled the pitch of a soprano singer, the now-forgotten bear landed with a thud against the couch, its stuffing spilling out of its stomach like blood leaking from a fatal wound to the gut.

The blond boy bobbed over to the table and, after a notable struggle, managed to send the stapler clattering to the ground. He sat down with the new toy and turned it over in his hands greedily, admiring the way the light gleamed on the slick metal edge. It certainly looked appealing... Maybe if he could just test it to see if it tasted as good as it looked...

His sister Thalia rushed in moments later at the sound of her brother's wailing, and when she took in the scene before her - the bloody lip, the staple, the tears - she cried, "Jason Grace! What have you done?!"


	39. Protector

The children ate their impromptu lunch of leftover Mexican food soundlessly, until a noise like the prancing of hooves pierced the silence. In less than a second, the three demigods were up on their feet, their gear already packed in their raggedy backpacks.

"Monsters," the oldest breathed, her blue eyes steely.

The second-oldest, a boy with sandy blond hair, nodded firmly. "Let's go."

They ran, their backpacks clunking noisily. The youngest, a little seven-year-old girl with fear-filled gray eyes, struggled to keep up, but the others helped her along.

Finally the trio of runaways reached a dead-end alleyway, and they backed into it, their eyes watching the entryway. When the sound of hooves finally ceased, they allowed their breath to become even.

"Do I smell enchiladas?"

They all jumped at the voice behind them, turning to see a boy about their age, maybe a little older, standing expectantly behind them. Oddly enough, his lower half was furry, like a goat.

"Who's the goat boy?" Thalia muttered to Luke, who just shrugged.

"Satyr, actually." The "goat boy" saddled forward, his arms held out wide. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Grover Underwood, and I am your protector."


	40. Insecure

Everyone gets insecure from time to time.

She did, especially; how could she not? Her hair was bright red and frizzy, so the repetitive jokes about her being Merida from Brave or how gingers had no souls never seemed to stop. Not to mention the flamboyant smattering of freckles on her cheeks, which stood out against her pale skin like specks of black paint on a plain white canvas.

Plus, sometimes she felt shallow and useless, as if all she was really noted for was being the daughter of an extremely wealthy businessman (who also happened to be obsessed with killing trees... not cool).

But on those days, when the sky seemed especially dark and cloudy, she would position herself in front of vanity, stare herself in her own emerald green eyes, and remind herself:

You are not nothing. You are a dam good painter. You hit Kronos in the eye with a plastic hairbrush. You are the Oracle of Delphi. You are Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and you are not nothing.


	41. Flurry

She was nowhere, and yet she was everywhere, all at once.

It sounded deep, and in a relative sense, it was, especially for someone as dense as she was. (She may have been extremely beautiful, but she didn't exactly have the brains to back up her looks.)

As she drifted through the air, she sighed softly, a sound like a low whistle floating on the breeze, and the vibration sent a shiver throughout her.

Every day she felt odd sensations like that, whether it was feeling something in every part of her, yet in a detached way, or feeling entirely hollow and whole at the same time. She rarely understood what was happening to her, but she supposed she had Piper McLean to thank for that.

Ever since the daughter of Aphrodite had blasted her off of the ship, Khione had been reduced to nothing but a patch of snow, constantly on the move in weather patterns, and constantly shapeshifting her size and form according to her mood.

As she felt her anger dissipate, she, in the form of flurries, drifted lazily over Quebec, and promised herself that she would never again try to mess with Piper McLean.


	42. Alleyway

As he turned the corner, his hands were gripped around the knife tucked away inside his suit pocket,... He may have worked for social services, but he was still prepared for potentially-dangerous situations.

Picking up the pace, he turned another corner, but stopped in his tracks when he saw that the route led only to a dead-end alleyway.

 _Another dead end._

He muttered a quiet curse under his breath as his fingers relaxed their grip on the weapon in his pocket. They'd been certain that there was a teen nearby, but now there was nobody here except him, a possibly-dead homeless man, and a few stray cats.

Just as the street-smart social worker was about to retreat from the alley, the homeless man stirred in his sleep, and he saw that he wasn't an older person like he had originally thought, but was actually a teenager.

The social worker crept closer to the boy, who had now sat up in his sleeping bag and was cowering slightly in his cardboard box. "Are you Tyson?"

The boy, fear in his eyes, nodded.

Drawing a badge from his pocket, the social worker smiled: "I work with Meriweather College Prep. Let's talk"


	43. Clipboard

She tried to appear casual as she cleaned the massive mirror, like she was only doing her job, but on the inside her heart was hammering with the excitement of new arrivals. As abiding of the island's rules as she was, she was still a young girl and couldn't resist eavesdropping when she had the chance.

"Is this your first time with us?" she heard a girl with a clipboard ask, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the excessive professionalism that her sister used when speaking to guests.

Still maintaining an air of nonchalance, the dark-haired girl peeked over her shoulder as her older sister led the guests - a girl with pretty blond hair and a boy with striking sea-green eyes - further into the room of mirrors, babbling away excitedly as she scribbled notes on her clipboard.

"Reyna!" she heard a manicurist nearby call. "You're needed in the makeover room for the demigod girl. Report there, pronto!"

"Yes, ma'am," she muttered as she scuttled to the next room, where she saw Circe gathered with the demigods that she would later come to know as Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson.


	44. Teddy

_Rrrrrrrrrrrip._

The sound, like the shredding of thin paper, echoed around the massive temple, creating an ominous tone which, when matched with the carnage pictured there, only gave one the impression of a slaughterhouse, or a deserted asylum.

The young man would certainly belong in the latter. After all, anyone who enjoys shredding stuffed animals for a living and then making up sing-song, nonsensical rhymes about their dead bodies could not exactly be called "sane".

"Jupiter!" he called out to the gleaming statue before him, his arms extended outward. The entrails of a freshly-slain teddy bear lay at the teen's feet, a knife in hand. Faintly thunder rumbled in the distance, and lightning cracked, tinting the far-away clouds a watered-down blood red.

He was just about to send up a prayer for the gods to grant him the secrets to the slain teddy bear's entrails, when he heard a low voice behind him, and turned to see two demigods waiting idly at the temple's entrance. One, the daughter of Pluto that he despised, and the other an unfamiliar male with dark hair and light eyes.

"Percy," the girl, Hazel, said addressed the boy as, "this is Octavian."


	45. Candy

7:00

"Alright, Betty," said the woman as she stepped out from behind the counter, untying her apron swiftly. "It's 7 already. That's my cue."

Though she had tried not to show it, she had been vigilantly watching the clock out of the corner of her eye for the past hour Every day, the moment that her shift at the candy store was up, she was out of there faster than a horse racing for the barn.

"And where are you runnin' off to, hmm?" teased the woman's friend as she leaned over the counter. It was a little game they played every day when she got off work; five years, and it still wasn't old. "You got a man waitin'' for you at home?"

The brunette shrugged mischievously as she slung her tote bag over her shoulder, the weight of it causing her to lilt to the side slightly. "You know there's only one man in my life that I care about. I'll see you tomorrow, Betty."

And with that, Sally Jackson hurried home from her job at Sweet On America, eager to see the only man in her life she cared for: her son, Percy.


	46. Heartache

His heart ached.

It ached when she took her first steps, and he wasn't there to witness it.

It ached on her first day of school, upon seeing the pure excitement in her eyes.

It ached again on that day, when the young girl rushed home in a fit of tears, salty droplets streaking down her face as she asked her mother in between sobs what a colored person was, and why that was considered a bad thing.

It ached as schoolyard bullies picked on his little girl and called her names and stole her money and knocked her bag out of her hand.

It ached and it swelled when she stood up to them with the help of her new friend, a mischievous little boy.

It ached as he watched her grow up from a distance, slowly transitioning from an innocent little girl to a young woman who wore her battle scars with fierce yet quiet pride.

It ached as he felt her die in Alaska, the life leaving him as it left her.

It ached as she lived again, and made a name for herself both alone and with the Seven.

Pluto's heart ached for Hazel Levesque.


	47. Return

She stood nervously at the water's edge, digging her tanned toes into the thick sand as the waves splashed onto her feet. She hardly noticed; she was busy watching. Waiting.

She closed her eyes, feeling the salt from the ocean on her cheeks. She remembered how she had kissed him on his departure, desperate to avoid him making an empty promise and leaving her alone on her island with a broken heart, once again. How he had climbed aboard the raft, and once he thought he was a safe distance away, had sworn on the River Styx that he would return. She knew he'd believed she wouldn't hear him, but the island's magic had carried his voice back to her as if he was standing no more than a few feet away. Even now, she thought Ogygia was working more of its manipulative magic, making her believe he was calling her name.

"Calypso!"

Her dark almond eyes flew open to reveal Leo Valdez soaring towards her on his bronze metal dragon Festus, his clothes coated in a thick layer of grease, just like she remembered.

And for the first time in several months, she allowed herself to hope.


	48. Awaken

All it took was one drop.

She could feel everything, that happened above her, could tell how every aspect of life, every pair of feet that walked or every hoof that pranced, depended on her. She was the essence of life, the one that supported them: every river that flowed, every fire whose flames were fanned, every gush of wind that brushed against the earth's surface, was her.

And even in sleep, she was more powerful than any creature above her could possibly imagine. Although the world turned while she slept, she turned along with it; nothing, no one, could escape her. Rumblings deep within the layers of the earth were merely the normal noises of Mother Earth's deep, peaceful slumber.

But it was time to awaken.

After so long asleep, she was growing restless. She wanted to be in control again, to be in control of all life within her grasp.

 _Ah_. There it was, one of the two drops of blood she needed. Gaea was so close. She could _feel_ herself on the brink of sleep, could feel herself tipping over into consciousness. The world was literally at her fingertips.

And all it took was one drop.


	49. Dinner

"You thought of everything, didn't you?" she said teasingly, gesturing to the candles that slowly dripped wax, the dark restaurant around them, and the jazz band on the stage that played a romantic tune. The dance floor was a hodgepodge of couples, all swaying to one of her favorite songs, "Moonlight Serenade."

It was the perfect evening, and the most romantic dinner date she had ever been on. (Although, admittedly, she hadn't been on too many in recent years, due to a certain smelly ex-boyfriend.)

"I'm proud to say that I thought of everything myself," he replied with a warm smile, sliding his hands across the table to hold hers. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," she promised earnestly.

"Whew. That's good to hear," he laughed, somewhat shakily. He took a deep breath, reaching into his suit pocket warily. "Because I've got something to ask you."

"Paul..." she began as he slid from his chair and got down on one knee. "What are you - "

"Sally Jackson," he breathed, his face the most open and vulnerable that she had ever seen. "Will you do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Blofis?"

"Yes! _Of course!"_


	50. Glow

The first time that he truly remembered seeing his father, he was twelve years old.

At least, that's what he told to mostly everyone who asked him.

But to those he trusted, he told the _real_ first memory he had of his father:

He was just a baby; he may not have even been out of the crib or off the pacifier yet.

But, he still must have been old enough to think, because he had tried to understand the soft glow above him as he lay flat on his back.

The glow had started as soft, pale yellow, as if it emanated from far away, but it had steadily increased until it was transformed into a bright, loving golden glow that consumed him, all around.

He remembered laughing, giggling at the sight of light that surrounded him, and at the sudden outline of a face that appeared above his. He remembered nothing of the features, save for the kind smile that matched the omnipresent glow in warmth, and the deep voice that had called his name... "Percy."

He remembered very little about the first time he saw his father, but he knew he would never forget that glow.


	51. Reassurance

**Thank you to** Delilah **for this idea; I hope I did a good job and you enjoy it!**

"I can't do this anymore!" he cried, frustrated. He ran his hands through his raven hair, clutching it frantically. "Everybody's counting on us, on me. They call us the heroes, the saviors, but Annabeth, what if we just can't do it? What if we fail?"

"Percy", she soothed, coming to sit beside him on his bed. She pointedly ignored the drool stain that streaked down his pillow. "We can't think about that right now. Just focus on our mission."

He shook his head; his sea green eyes were troubled. "I can't. Not with knowing that the gods hate us for trying, and they'll hate us if we don't try."

"Screw the gods," said Leo as he appeared in the doorway, the rest of the Seven fanning behind him.

Hazel visibly winced at his choice of words, but didn't comment.

Frank, though, muttered, "I wouldn't say that exactly."

"Leo's right," said Piper encouragingly as she ignored what Frank said. Percy couldn't tell if she was using her charmspeak or not, but he felt reassured either way.

Jason appeared beside her, his arm wrapped around her waist. "We're all in this together, Percy... Never forget that."

And for the first time all night, Percy allowed himself to smile.


	52. Hairbrush

**A huge thank-you to** PinkJemLuvsPink **for this idea. Great idea, and I hope you liked it!**

Yes, little demigod, he thought as he glared through golden eyes down at the raven-haired boy before him. You will be the key to my success, and...

The Titan Lord's thoughts were interrupted as three other teens appeared in the room. One was a human, who he presumed to have the Sight since she looked directly at him; she didn't waste a moment in reaching for a weapon in her pocket, drawing her arm back, and hurling the object towards him at full-speed.

He knew no mortal weapon could hurt him, but was proved wrong when the item sailed in a clean arc towards his face, a bright blue streak that looked suspiciously like a hairbrush.

A fleeting moment of shock passed through Kronos's mind before he realized that the human host whose body he had taken over - Luke Castellan, a troubled son of Hermes - was back in control.

That is not possible! roared the Titan Lord mentally. He should have been able to regain control over the boy's body instantly, and yet, he could feel the demigod resisting, struggling against him.

It was frustrating enough to make Kronos hate the red-haired mortal girl.


	53. Forge

**Thank you again to** PinkJemLuvsPink **for another great idea; I hope I did an okay job! :)**

The forge was brought to life by the vibrant sounds that floated around, bouncing off the marbles walls and creating an echo that sailed up through the volcano's shoot. A harmony of voices - banging axes, ringing anvils, plinking hammers - blended together to produce a choir worthy of being located in the forges of the gods.

The young Cyclops had been working in the underwater forge for roughly four months now, and the din was music to his ears. Not only was his job as an intern unbelievably fun, but he was also extremely good at it, and had quickly risen through the ranks of working Cyclopes when his potential had been recognized.

Still...

He often found himself missing his raven-haired big brother, who he always felt he could talk to.

The Fates must have been in a favorable mood that day, for not one moment later did the air before him start to shimmer, an image beginning to appear.

He was so absorbed in the sword that he was making that it was another minute before he heard a voice calling his name.

"Tyson! TYSON!"

He turned around, and ran towards the smiling image of his brother. "Percy!"


	54. Sympathy

"Don't go too far!" She warned her grandson as he ran off. The corners of her mouth began to twitch upwards into a smile, but fell immediately when she saw a woman striding towards her deliberately; the grimace on her face was enough to make the elderly woman believe that something was wrong.

"Mrs. Zhang?" She inquired when she reached the elderly woman.

Grandma Zhang nodded slowly.

The woman - probably some government official, based on her suit and badge - held out an envelope, which she took soundlessly.

"Mrs. Zhang," the worker began solemnly, "I regret to inform you that your daughter Emily has been reported dead in...

Grandma Zhang didn't bother listening to the rest. Her mind kept going back to one word.

Dead.

Her daughter couldn't be dead. Emily was a warrior: tough, proud, strong. Although she had always warned her daughter that her powers wouldn't save her in the end, Grandma Zhang had never truly believed it, or wanted it to be true.

"...I extend to you and your family my deepest sympathy in your great loss," finished the social worker.

"Sympathy," the old woman grunted, though her heart wasn't in it. "Who needs it."


	55. Lieutenant

"Hi," the girl said, her voice piercing the quiet of the forest, "I don't know if you can hear me, or even if you can, if you'll want to listen but... I'm going to talk to you, whether you like it or not," she added mischievously.

Her grin fell as she inhaled deeply, hugging her legs to her chest.

"Artemis wants me to join the Hunt," she blurted abruptly. "I know that in the past I rejected it, but I think it's the right choice. And that's not all."

She faltered, her breath escaping in a puff of air.

"She wants me to be her lieutenant. To...replace you. But I know I can't, because nobody could ever replace you."

Her breath hitched in her throat, and tears threatened to spill over.

"I'm sorry, for everything I ever did or said to you. You didn't deserve to die like you did."

The raven-haired girl stayed a moment longer, her electric blue eyes searching the night sky for something, for someone.

"Thanks for listening," she whispered as she began to walk away. "Bye, Zoe."

The shooting star that streaked by a moment later seemed to whisper back: "Goodbye, Thalia."


	56. Dip

"Hey, woman, make me more dip!" he hollered gruffly. He followed up his command with an obnoxious belch and an impolite fart.

Transfixed by the cheap reality show on the screen, he scratched his crotch absentmindedly with the remote, but stopped at the sound of a loud clanking from the kitchen. "Keep it down in there!" he roared. "I'm watching something!"

A quiet "Sorry" was the only answer he got, so he just rolled his eyes and turned up the volume on the TV.

One minute and approximately three low-budget commercials later, the man realized that his hands were still empty, save for a beer bottle whose contents were nearly gone. "Hurry up with that dip!" He glanced at the bottle in his hand, adding, "And bring me another beer!"

His gaze returned to the TV, and he didn't glance up when a woman entered the room, though he did when she threw something heavy on the ground and ran out.

"Sally!" He shouted, looking at the round object on the floor. "That's not my dip! What is..."

He faltered as his eyes met that of the decapitated head, and a moment later, Gabe Ugliano was a stone statue.


	57. Ranch

As he stepped onto the front porch, he lazily scratched all three of his backs, gazing out over the ranch.

He spotted the hippalektryons, who had just recently lain their eggs. His mouth watered at the thought of how good the omelets made from those eggs were, and he instantly knew what he'd be having for breakfast.

The giant scorpions looked good, though the remaining creatures had becomes considerably more hostile since the most recent shipment of scorpions in which a client had ordered a large amount. He'd just get Eurytion to fix that later.

Apollo's cattle also seemed to be in good condition, though a little redder than usual. He hoped they weren't sunburned, as that would have made the meat much less tender; the Titan Army wouldn't like that.

Both sets of horses - who he obviously kept separated - looked fine, though the flesh-eaters seemed to be eyeing the fire-breathers, whose nostrils looked slightly charred. And the stables were so filthy that he couldn't even find the door. Geryon wasn't exactly in the mood to clean up a wasteland of poo, so he just prayed that some demigod would come clean it up.


	58. Schoolyard

The first time he saw her, they were outside the schoolyard, which would soon become a living hell for both of them.

Her cocoa skin glistened as the cruel sun beat down brutally on all the pairs of parents and children making their way to school for the first day.

That was another thing that set her apart from everyone else there, aside from her stunning gold eyes: every other kid in attendance was escorted by a mother or father - including him - but she was the only child who walked into St. Agnes Academy for Colored Children and Indians alone.

From that moment, he knew that he never wanted her to be alone again, and that he would fiercely protect her in any way that he could from then on. Being only a small child, there was little he could do besides crack jokes and eat lunch by her on the playground, where they would share the contents of their brown paper sacks.

And it was that first day, that one moment, where Sammy Valdez found not only the love of his life, but also his best friend, in a little girl named Hazel Levesque.


	59. Fog

She walked up the attic stairs slowly, like a condemned man headed for the noose. Up ahead was the slouched form of the Oracle, her tie-dye dress nearly unrecognizable beneath the coat of cobwebs.

"My name is May Castellan," she announced. She tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear, a nervous habit. Though she was frightened, she squared her shoulders and maintained a steady tone. "I have the Sight. I wish to become the Oracle."

The withered woman straightened and stared blankly at May. Suddenly, a flood of green smoke poured from her mouth, filling the stale attic with an acrid smell. The fog darted towards May, and she reflexively took a step backwards, but it forced its way into her mouth, seeping into her lungs and mind.

The attic around her was replaced by the deck of a cruise ship. In a daze, she glanced around and saw all manner of monsters, all surrounding an altar. Behind the altar stood a young man - somehow, she knew it was her son, Luke - but his beautiful blue eyes had been solidified into gold. The unfamiliar evil forced the sanity from her mind.

She screamed.


	60. Sisters

**Thanks to the guest** Mercy **for this idea! I really liked writing it (I wish I could've done more, but I had to stick to my 200 word limit), and I hope you all liked the result! :)**

She watched the retreating form of the young man, before turning towards the Garden, but stopped when she saw the four girls that stood before her.

She was faintly aware of goosebumps on her arms, but she knew that it was from the chill of the night, and not her sisters. Though she had once been afraid of them, she wasn't anymore; Heracles had instilled a newfound bravery in her.

"Hello, sisters."

The oldest spoke first, her eyes narrow. "Do not call us thy sisters." She was an elegant girl endowed with eyes as dark and pure as marbles, hair as black and sleek as oil.

Another daughter of Atlas, equally pretty, spoke next. "Thou shalt be punished for what thou hast done to Father."

"Eternal banishment from the Garden," agreed another.

The last added. "Do not return, no one but Ladon shall greet you."

Tears burned at the back of her eyes, but she only nodded resolutely. "Very well. It is time for me to go then. Goodbye, my sisters."

They called to her as she walked away, and at their words, Zoe finally allowed herself to cry. "We are _not_ thy sisters!"


	61. Giant

**Again, thanks to the guest** Mercy **for this awesome idea! I really hope everyone likes it. Also, just as a quick heads up, I'm going on a cruise on Friday, so I might not be able to update for a week or so, but I'll have all the chapters ready when I come back, I promise.**

She raced towards the golden giant, as her friends did anything they could whether it was shooting arrows at its thick armored body, hitting it with a sword to distract it, or just screaming wildly at it.

If she didn't know she was about to die, she might have laughed.

Instead, she focused on reaching the trap door on the bottom of the giant's foot, wrenching it open, and crawling inside. She wiggled her way up to the top, ignoring her fear of heights and of close spaces, all for the sake of saving her friends and, eventually, her brother. All the while she hummed an Italian lullaby her mother used to sing to her two kids when they were younger.

Gods, it had been years since she'd thought about that song, and yet she still remembered every word.

At last, she found the gear that she assumed controlled everything, and with a final hum, she truncated it with her knife. And less than a moment later, she was falling down, hurtling towards her death, trapped in her one true fear: failure.

As she fell, she had enough time to whisper one final thing. "I'm sorry, Nico."


	62. Bullies

**Hey everyone! I'm back! Thank you all for being patient with me while I was away on vacation (thanks** hollyhobbit101 **, I had fun). Until I get caught up, I'll be posting two chapters a day just so I can properly pace myself. Also, please remember that if you suggest an idea for a chapter I will write it, unless you just suggest something completely inappropriate or impossible. If you have suggested an idea so far, I promise that I will get to it as soon as possible and that I love all of your ideas! Ok, thank you for reading this AN...I'll shut up now. Enjoy!**

"Hey!" a voice protested as the boy grabbed the photo.

The picture in his hands, he could only stare. He'd expected to make fun of his classmate, but based on this picture, he couldn't exactly judge. The girl was beautiful, with gray eyes and blond hair bound by a bandana. The bully let out a low whistle, despite himself. He stated that she couldn't possibly be the green-eyed boy's girlfriend, but jealousy bubbled inside of him, like it always did when he was around Percy Jackson.

The burly boy ripped up the photo with a menacing grin and nudged his new-found friends. But even hurling spitballs at the nerds that cowered under their seats wasn't enough to cheer up the bully; his mind was still on Jackson, and the girl he'd seen in the photo.

 _Why can't_ I _get a girl like that?_ Matt wondered to himself with bitter resentment. He glanced to the guys he'd befriended that day - Skull Eater, Marrow Sucker...Joe Bob.

An evil grin appeared on his face. He may not have a girl, but he _did_ have power. He knew he'd get his revenge in Gym class. After all, dodgeball was Matt Sloan's specialty.


	63. Jar

It was dark.

But the inky blackness was nothing like the ominous black pit in Tartarus. Just thinking of it, he repressed a shiver, though it may have been from the cold air around him: possibly an effect of the death trance.

So far he'd only eaten one seed, and yet he already never wanted to eat another pomegranate again. Even though he was a child of Hades - the only kind of demigod able to survive off such a diet - the seed had been difficult to swallow. Withered, it had almost seemed... _dead_...like it too was consumed in the death trance.

He didn't know what time it was - how could he, when he was trapped in a bronze jar? - but he felt that enough hours had gone by for a complete day to have passed. He could even feel the death trance wear off.

He sucked in his breath, but the air was stale and scarce, and he began to panic. Before he passed out from lack of oxygen, Nico di Angelo scratched a tally mark on the inside of the jar - day one, complete - before popping the second seed into his mouth.


	64. Poster

**Thank you to** thedauntlessamity **for this idea (or general request :D ). It was a little vague so I hope you don't mind how I chose to write it. ALSO: I am going to start asking a question at the end of each chapter, (like how I did with "Everyone Loves Percy"), just because I think it's fun to hear what everyone has to say. If you have any ideas for questions, please let me know! Anyway, please enjoy, favorite, follow, and REVIEW!**

She trudged up the steps, half-asleep from the intense training. She just wanted to collapse on her bed and take a nap.

The entire cabin was empty, due to everyone else being at dinner, so seeing another person all alone in the dark room on _her_ bed using only a flashlight was fairly unnerving.

"Um...hi?" she said, thinking _Whoever you are, I want you out of my cabin and off my bed so I can just take a freaking nap._

"Oh!" the person cried in a familiar voice. " I thought everyone was at the pavilion!"

"...Lacy?" she exclaimed, startled. "Why are you in here?"

"Oh. Um." The young daughter of Aphrodite seemed at a loss for words. "I was just - "

" _Wait_ ," she cried suddenly as she caught what her half-sister was looking at. "Is that... _my dad_?!"

It was true. In Lacy's hands was a movie poster featuring Tristan McLean, still brand-new if not for the notable wet stains on it that looked suspiciously like drool marks.

"Oh my gods, Lacy!" cried Piper, her nose crinkled. "Do you have a crush on my dad?"

A pair of burning cheeks were the only answer that she needed.

 **Easy one to start out with: favorite member of the Seven?**


	65. Rooftop

**This one was also suggested by** thedauntlessamity **... Thanks for the idea! Again, I hope you all enjoy, and if you liked it or if you have an idea, please drop a review as** **every single review** **means so much to me. THANK YOU!**

The night air was cool against their upturned faces as they gazed upward.

"Oh, look!" cried the boy, pointing to a fiery ball with a glowing tail comprised of a dazzling array of colors. "Is that a shooting star?"

The girl, her hands intertwined with his, nodded with a smile. "I think so. Me and my dad always saw them when we stayed with Grandpa Tom. Amazing, right?"

Her eyes were trained on the starry sky, but when she heard no response, she turned her head to look at him, and saw that he was staring at her, an odd sort of smile on his face. Silently, he grabbed a strand of dark brown hair and gave it a gentle tug.

"Beautiful," was all he said.

 _Just like you_ , he thought, right as he leaned forward to press his lips against hers.

She felt her breath catch in her throat, but she didn't waste long in wrapping her arms around him, tangling her hands in his blonde hair.

Both pulled away in a rush of air, thoughts running through their minds...

 _I can't believe I just kissed Piper McLean_.

 _I can't believe Jason Grace just kissed me_.

 **Do you like PJO, HoO, or ToA better? Why?**


	66. Sky

**Thank you to** Nyacandy **for this awesome idea! Everyone please remember that you can request an idea and I will give you credit for it. :)**

She likened the storm to standing in the midst of a raging black tornado: the wind tangled her blonde hair so severely that she could hardly discern anything, save for the figure crouched low on the ground, his sandy hair the only speck of color on his filthy person.

Even from yards away, she could see that he was in anguish as he struggled under holding up what could only be described as the earth meeting the sky in a savage embrace. She saw the pain in his blue eyes as looked at her, in his voice as he called out to her.

She didn't want to help him. Every fiber in her body was screaming at her to run away, run away fast, before this boy broke her heart and betrayed her once again.

But for possibly the first time in her entire life, Annabeth Chase ignored what her brain was telling her to do. Instead, she bent down and settled the weight of the sky onto her back, bracing herself. But not even the immense weight of the sky crushed her more than Luke Castellan, who flashed her a grin before running away, leaving her broken-hearted, again.

 **What is the best PJO book, and why?**


	67. Orion

**Thank you to** Indigo **for this idea... Enjoy, and remember to review! :)**

The goddess could see everything from Olympus: the oceans, the mountains, the forests, even the stars. One set of stars in particular.

"Remind me which one that is again," a voice said, breaking her peaceful solitude.

With a roll of her eyes, she gave her brother a glowering look that would've caused most mortals to wither into dust.

Instead of collapsing to his knees, he continued, "No need to tell me. I have a feeling I already know which one it is. " He came to stand beside her, gazing up at the dark sky. In a quieter voice, he said, "Orion, right?"

She said nothing for a moment, but when she did speak, her voice was crisp. "You never did care for him much, did you?"

Unsurprisingly, she heard her brother snort. "No, but I know you certainly did."

"And what exactly does that mean, dear brother?" She turned to him, her voice holding a note of danger in it.

He didn't seem to care, as he just laughed, causing her to do the same. "Exactly what you think it means, little sister!"

"For the last time, Apollo, I am not your little sister!"

 **What is the best HoO book, and why?**


	68. Staff

**Credit to this idea goes to** FallingForAFictionalCharacter1 **; thanks for the suggestion!**

 _Where could they be_?

He had searched _everywhere_ for them. And yet he hadn't found any clue to where they might be: no tiny snake droppings, or bits of leftover rats (a.k.a. "Dinner", to the two snakes).

After two hours of relentless searching (a long attention span for a god who'd lived thousands of years), he realized that he wouldn't find them by himself, so reluctantly he climbed into his brown delivery truck reading "Hermes Express" and set off in search of the young son of Poseidon.

The entire ride, he couldn't seem to sit still: his fingers tapped the wheel, his knees bounced anxiously, and he hummed an off-beat tune. Anything to keep his mind off the fact that he had no clue as to the whereabouts of his snakes.

And they weren't just his snakes that he used whenever he needed to power up the old magic staff; they were also his oldest and dearest friends, his confidantes.

Finally, he spied a shock of black hair, and as he clambered out of the truck, he felt his spirits raise ever-so-slightly. If there was anyone who could help Hermes find his staff, it was Percy Jackson.

 **Who is your favorite** **Greek** **god?**


	69. Bolt

FallingForAFictionalCharacter1 **also suggested this, so thanks for both of your amazing ideas!**

 _A hand reached out and grabbed me, stealing me from my Master, who I knew I would not see again in a long time._

 _I was stuffed into a dark space that felt like stiff cloth and smelled suspiciously of the evil place called school - a backpack! I felt another object next to me, something smooth and round, like a football helmet._

 _Suddenly, I was passed from the original thieving hands to another pair, expecting to be returned to my Master immediately._

 _I was disappointed when these rough new hands kept me for quite some time. They placed some kind of enchantment on me, before passing me onto_ another _pair of hands, though these did not belong to a thief. (I am_ royalty _, and should be handled carefully!)_

 _I was taken somewhere dark and cold that possessed evil qualities - either the Underworld, or school again. Someone tried to take me, but the non-thieving hands held on to me and the football helmet-thing._

Finally _, after what I expect was some sort of duel, I was returned to my Master, where I learned the name of my rescuer._

 _If you ever see Percy Jackson, tell him Zeus's Master Bolt says thanks._

 **Who is your favorite** **Greek** **goddess?**


	70. Hunt

**Thank you to** PinkJemLuvsPink, **not only for your awesome idea, but also for all of your consistently amazing reviews. (And no, I didn't forget about your ideas! Sorry it took a while to get to them, but I had a lot of suggestions to write before I got to yours. :D )**

She stared at the snow, wondering what kept it from crunching under her feet. But it seemed she wasn't the only one: the group of girls raced through the woods quieter than a herd of deer on the freshly-fallen powder.

However, it seemed that she did _not_ have the same stamina as the others. Though she'd started in the front, she was quickly passed by streaks of silver: the flash of steel arrows, sharp swords, and agile wolves. In seconds, the dark-haired girl had fallen far behind. She was nearly sixteen (or as close to it as she would ever be), and yet girls no older than _eleven_ were ahead of her.

She was suddenly tempted to just plop down onto the ground and nap.

As if reading her mind, the girl at the front fell back so that she ran easily beside the daughter of Zeus. "Do not give up just yet," said the goddess, the snow melting against her radiant auburn hair. She smiled, and her silver eyes reflected the light of the moon. "You are much too tough for that, Thalia Grace."

And for the first time since she joined the Hunt, Thalia wasn't even tired.

 **Who is your favorite** **Roman** **god?**


	71. Boys

**Thank you again to** PinkJemLuvsPink **for this idea! I loved writing it. And thank you too to** hollyhobbit101 **for always being such a kind and faithful reviewer. :)**

A group of girls clad in silver accosted the four travelers, and one of them addressed the girl with startling blue eyes. "Are you Thalia Grace?"

She nodded, and the leader approached her. Thalia instantly noticed her eyes, the color of obsidian. They were intimidating, but her voice was steady as she spoke, demanding, "Who are you?"

"I am Zoe Nightshade."

Thalia raised her eyebrows, as if to say, _So what?_

"We are the Hunters of Artemis," continued Zoe. "And we want you to join us."

"I've heard of you guys," Thalia said thoughtfully. "You have extra powers and live forever, right?"

Zoe inclined her head forward.

"And you want _me_ to join?" Thalia said, slightly awed. Momentarily she allowed herself to consider a life without fear. But then she glanced back at her friends, and knew she couldn't. "I can't," she apologized.

Zoe scowled. "It is the boy, Luke, isn't it?"

"Maybe."

"He is a boy! Someday, I promise, he will betray you. They always do."

Thalia scoffed. "You can't even have a boyfriend. What do you know about boys? Come on, guys," she called to her friends, walking away with a final glare at Zoe. "Let's go."

 **Who is your favorite** **Roman** **goddess?**


	72. Cafeteria

**For** TheStarsStartFalling, **because like you said, Grover needs some more love. ;)**

The halls of Yancy Academy were silent. Peaceful.

And then the lunch bell sounded.

The effect was like a natural disaster: students flooded from every classroom like a tidal wave, sweeping up anyone in their path. Their screams rattled the windows, and the thud of their feet created the sound of thunder. When they were gone, the school halls looked like an actual tornado had swept through there, leaving only a few overworked and underpaid teachers in its path.

In the cafeteria, the dark-haired boy watched from his seat on the floor by the trash cans, amused and unseen, as the kids in line trembled at the sight of Nancy Bobofit. Her broad shoulders and dark hair had always reminded Percy of meatloaf.

He wasn't so amused when she caught sight of him, but before she could make her way over to him to beat him up, her path was blocked by a scrawny kid who practically flew into the cafeteria. He wore a "Save the Earth" T-shirt and a Yankees baseball cap: nothing extraordinary, but all eyes were on Grover as he skidded into the lunch line and yelled at the top of his lungs:

"IT'S ENCHILADA DAY!"

 **Who would be a better King of the Gods instead of Zeus: Poseidon or Hades?**


	73. Pudding

**"Another Percabeth one" at the request of** GeekAndGamer. **:) Enjoy!**

Last night had been crazy.

It had started out as a regular night of playing Hide-and-Seek-or-Die, but had gained excitement when a new camper showed up, half-unconscious on the Big House steps. In his arms, the boy had supported a satyr, who she quickly had recognized as Grover.

As she and Chiron had peered down at the exhausted boy, she'd gotten her hopes up at the prospect of a quest. "He's the one. He must be," she'd whispered fervently to Chiron.

But he'd shushed her, saying, "Silence, Annabeth. He's still conscious."

Now the boy was lying on a cot in the infirmary as she fed him popcorn-flavored pudding: her favorite.

 _He doesn't look too bad_ , she admitted reluctantly. He had dark hair like ink, and when his eyes fluttered open, they were as green as the sea. Still, despite his looks, she couldn't help but smirk at him as she purposefully dribbled pudding on his face.

When he was fully conscious, she instantly began interrogating him about the Olympian thief, but felt a little bad at his confused expression.

 _Oh well,_ she thought. If he was going to spend time with her, he'd have to get used to it.

 **Which member of the Seven has the best powers?**


	74. Onager

**Thank you to** RedGirl **, for your really sweet review and for this awesome idea!**

"It is my destiny!" I cried as I stepped up to the onager, ordering Michael Kahale to stand guard as I examined the weapon.

"As you wish," he murmured obediently.

"A good friend to the last," I assured him; I knew he worshipped the praise.

Everything was going according to plan, and I knew that at the end of this, I would be held in reverence above everyone else involved with the war. I alone would be the hero, the savior of Rome, the savior of the world.

And all that stood in my way was a scrap-metal contraption, a little boy who could fly, and an old goddess who'd just woken up from a nap. Taking all three down would be easier than brainwashing those simpletons at Camp Jupiter.

I reached down to the onager, preparing to cut the release wire. I faintly smelled something burning and felt a gentle tug, but I ignored both, crying victoriously, "Goodbye, Gaea! Goodbye, Jason Grace the traitor!"

The Athena Parthenos is the last thing I remember before I was launched into the air and turned into a human comet.

And that is how I, the Great Octavian, met my tragic end.

 **Who would be a better Queen of the Gods instead of Hera: Demeter or Hestia?**

 **(I meant to do this question for Chapter 73 instead, but forgot.)** ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	75. Release

**Again, thanks to** RedGirl **for this wonderful suggestion!**

Fire swirled underneath his skin like lava under the earth's surface. Like a volcano, he felt the tension building up; he _wanted_ to explode, to release all of that power, to destroy.

"I can't contain the fire much longer," he told his friends, pressing his flaming hands into Festus's neck to prevent himself from releasing the fire.

He promised them he would destroy Gaea - he had a plan, after all. But they needed to leave, or they might get swept up in the same destruction that would destroy him.

Leo gazed at them: Piper, with her fierce determination, and Jason, with his natural leadership, and knew that there would never be three friends more perfect for each other.

"And by the way," he said, just to make sure they knew, "I love you guys."

And then Festus released them, and they dropped to Earth. When Leo was sure Jason and Piper were safe, he took a deep breath.

"I'm coming Calypso. I promise."

A second later, a human comet, combined with the release of Leo's human fire, destroyed all three of them up there in the gold sky: the Earth goddess, the Roman augur, and the son of Hephaestus.

 **Who is your favorite couple from the Seven? (Percabeth, Jasper, Frazel, or Caleo?)**


	76. Petrichor

**Thank you to** hollyhobbit101 **for this idea. Um, honestly I wasn't really sure what to do based on "petrichor", so I hope you're okay with how I wrote it. :)**

He stared at the rain, wishing that it would go away for once.

Sighing, he retreated from the window of the outside world, back to his dark home, filled with nothing but dead people and ugly monsters. The god had lived in the Underworld so long now, he even considered himself to be a combination of the two.

His wife, however, couldn't be more different.

Where he was all gloom and shadows, she was nothing but happiness and sunshine. As much as he hated himself, his home, and his whole life, everything seemed so much better when she was around.

When the goddess of spring walked, tiny blossoms sprang up in her path. When she smiled, the dreariness retreated to the farthest edges of the Underworld, and when she entered a room, the entire vicinity smelled faintly of lilacs.

Now, he thought bitterly as he paced back and forth, it only smelled of dust. That, and the infernal rain that continued to pour down outside.

But he didn't mind the rain, not really, for rain meant spring, and spring meant Persephone. So it was with a yearning heart that Hades returned to the window, and stared at the rain.

 **What is your favorite cabin at Camp Half-Blood?**


	77. Message

**This chapter came from an idea by** joshadams **(thank you!), and I hope you all like it. :)**

 _Hey guys! It's the Valdezinator. Surprise: I'M NOT DEAD! I know you probably wish I was right now, but I've tried sending tons of holographic scrolls. I've probably tried twenty times, and I don't know how many of them made it. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that - oh, holy flaming cow. Hey Calypso? Does the red light mean it's recording?_

 _..._

 _Come on, come on, answer it. Hey, Rainbow Goddess! Pay attention! I'm trying to send a message here! Um, Calypso? Can someone reject an Iris message? I think my friends are mad at me..._

 _..._

 _Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey! Rise and sunshine, cupcakes! HEY! YOU GUYS! WAKE UP! Holy Hephaestus, what's a guy got to do around here to send his friends a dream vision, telling them he's not actually dead? Ow! Calypso, what was that for? So? Who cares if they're trying to sleep? Who wants to sleep when HUNK MUFFIN IS ALIVE?!_

 _..._

 _Hey guys. It's me. Leo. I just wanted to tell you I'm alive. And I'm sorry. But I promise I'll be back soon. I'm borrowing this old Italian lady's phone, so don't try to call me back. Bye guys. Here you go, lady._

 **Which is better: Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter?**


	78. Certainty

**Thank you to** Greedgodsrox **for this reallyyyyy good idea!**

As he ran through the dizzying labyrinth, his dark hair falling in his face, it wasn't the possibility of death on his mind: it was the certainty that he was alive.

Fifteen minutes ago, he had walked into an arena and seen the guy that he was supposed to fight - the famous Percy Jackson. The boy was a year younger than him, but had the skills of someone twice his age.

Ethan Nakamura had faced doubt before, but staring into the sea-green eyes of his enemy, he had never felt so uncertain about his fate.

And then, it the span of five seconds, his fate had been forever changed, all by two words:

"Forget it," Percy had said, putting away his sword.

It puzzled Ethan to no end, and as he turned one familiar-looking corner after another, he contemplated what on Earth could have motivated Percy enough to not kill him. Could it be that maybe those who fought for the gods - maybe even the gods themselves - weren't as horrible as he'd believed?

But then he thought about all the years of uncertainty and neglect at Camp Half-Blood, and his heart once again hardened to be made of stone.

 **Who is the best villain from all three series?**


	79. Belong

**Thank you,** Mercy, **for this idea and all of your other amazing suggestions, which I promise I'll get to ASAP.**

Her first exposure to Camp Half-Blood was nothing like she had expected.

All her life, her father had preached that other demigods were evil, that they would kill her whenever possible. And she had believed him.

But right then, standing on the hills that acted as the western border of camp, she couldn't help questioning her father's pounding words for a moment.

To the north, she could see the majestic Long Island Sound, and in between the water and the hills was what could only be described as the most epic summer camp of all time.

A massive statue made of ivory watched out over the expanse of land containing an amphitheater, a massive arena, an archery range, stables, a volleyball court, a grand dining pavilion, and the scariest climbing wall she'd ever seen. Further south was a lovely farm house about three stories high, flanked on either side by sprawling fields where fresh plants grew; when she sniffed, she could smell the faint scent of strawberries carried on the mild breeze.

And then there were the campers. So many demigods, more than she'd ever seen.

For the first time ever, Meg McCaffrey thought she might actually belong somewhere.

 **Who is the best hero from all three series? (I think I might know the answer to this one already... :D )**


	80. Help

**Thanks** Mercy **for this great idea!**

She answered her phone before the second ring; she'd been have a gut feeling all day that something important was coming, and as a result, she'd been glued to her phone since she woke up. In her defense, her woman's intuition had proved right once again. "Hello?"

"Rachel?"

"Yeah?"

"It's me. Percy," said the person on the other line, and her breath caught in her throat. When she didn't answer for a moment, he added, "Percy Jackson. We, uh, ran into each other at the Hoover Dam, and then at orientation recently...Um..."

"No, no," she said hastily. "I remember you. I just...didn't expect you to call."

"Well..." The tone in his voice instantly alerted her that this was no social call; he was in trouble.

"What is it? What happened?" she asked in a rush.

"I need your help. There's this - "

Before he even finished explaining, she jumped in, "Of course! Absolutely. I'll do it."

There was a pause on the other end. "I need you to come with me into the Labyrinth."

"Okay," she replied easily.

"Rachel, it's extremely dangerous," he warned. "You could die."

"I don't care. I'll do it," she said confidently.

 **Would you rather live on Calypso's island (Ogygia) or Circe's island (C.C. 's Spa and Resort)? Why?**


	81. News

**Thanks again to** Mercy **for another awesome suggestion.**

Her mom called to her as she dropped her off at the local gas station, warning her to be home by dinner "or else".

Nancy Bobofit just rolled her eyes and raced inside, stealing a juicebox from a kid she passed as she entered the door with the jingly bell on it. While her eyes roamed the aisles for a bag of candy to steal, her ears picked up at the recognition of two of her favorite words: "BREAKING NEWS".

She turned towards the TV, watching curiously. The news anchor - a guy with the heaviest-looking hair she'd ever seen - was talking about some kid who had run away. The gas station was noisy, so she only picked up snippets of the story:

"Around 12 years old... Last seen with two other adolescents on a bus in New Jersey... If found, contact mother and stepfather..."

Nancy almost turned away, because the story wasn't extraordinary; after all, running away was common enough in New York. But it was the image that flashed across the screen, a familiar black-haired boy with sea-green eyes - and the name that the news anchor said that caused her to nearly do a spit-take:

"Percy Jackson."

 **Who is the better comic relief: Grover Underwood or Leo Valdez?**


	82. Doors

**Thank you again to** Mercy **for another incredible idea! Also, guys, I REALLY hate to say this, but as much as I love having you guys answer the questions each chapter (seriously, I love hearing your responses on them), ultimately reviews are meant to let me know how you liked the chapter, and to tell me what I can do better. I'm sorry that I brought that up, but your opinions on the writing really does mean SO much to me, so thank you, and I'll shut up now! Enjoy, and thank you for reading! :)**

 _Twelve minutes. I can give them twelve minutes._

He repeated the words to himself, over and over, as he and Damasen fended off the army of monsters with one hand and pushed the button on the Doors of Death with the other.

The fate of his two friends and the world rested on his shoulders, and it hurt to know that he would never see that beautiful, bright, blessed world again.

But then he thought about his friends' faces, and couldn't help but smile. He recalled something he'd told them before they climbed into the elevators:

"Tell the sun and the stars hello for me."

Originally, he'd meant exactly what he said, but now, as he held the images of their faces in his mind, he couldn't help but think that he already had the sun and the stars with him: the sun, in Annabeth's radiant blonde hair, and the stars, in Percy's shining eyes.

So it was with a triumphant smile on his face that Bob fought the Titan army to the bitter end, the sun and the stars still burned on the backs of his eyelids, even as the life left him for good.

 **Who do you think is the best praetor out of Reyna, Jason, Percy, and Frank?**


	83. Knife

**Again, a massive thanks to** Mercy **for this idea, and to everyone who reviewed last chapter.**

They were nearly across the bridge; she could see the other side as clearly as the blade that shone in her hand. Then she saw the demigod - a greasy-looking boy with an eyepatch and a cruel grin - sneak up behind Percy, who was fighting a son of Apollo.

Instantly, her powers kicked in, and she calculated Ethan Nakamura's distance and speed as he lunged in less than a full second. But then she flung all calculations and rational thought aside. For the first time in her life, Annabeth Chase ignored what her brain was telling her, and she listened to her heart instead.

She leaped in front of the blade, wincing in pain as the knife dug its way deep into her arm, and she collapsed to the ground.

Everything looked fuzzy, blurry; everything except for Percy's face. He hovered over her, his eyebrows above his sea-green eyes furrowed worriedly. Though he looked concerned, and the way he said her name nearly broke her heart, she didn't regret what she'd done. If she had to die, nothing was more honorable than taking a knife for the one she loved.

But she wasn't willing to leave him just yet.

 **What is your favorite weapon in the series? (Riptide, Backbiter Ivlivs, Katoptris, etc.)**


	84. Strong

**A huge thanks to** RedGirl **for this awesome suggestion.**

 _Be strong._

She repeated the words to herself every day, and now, in front of the Greek warship that descended like a massive eagle on the freshly-clipped grass. Her Roman instincts screamed at her that this was wrong, that Greek demigods shouldn't be here.

But she ignored her instincts as the Greeks filed out of the ship, one Roman in their midst standing out to her. Her heart stopped beating in her chest.

 _Be strong._

She surged forward in the excited crowd, weaving her way through people much more willing to show their emotions than she was, before stopping at the gangplank. She looked up, and let out a little involuntary gasp.

There was Jason Grace alright, as strong and courageous and handsome as ever. A torrent of emotions and memories involving the two of them came rushing back to her. Just seeing him caused her to melt a little. But she - and her heart - instantly froze when she saw another girl with him, their hands linked together and their eyes screaming love.

For the first time of what would be a very trying day, Reyna felt the invincible armor that surrounded her heart crack just a little.

 **Who do you think Calypso loved more: Percy or Leo?**


	85. Fireworks

**I'll admit, I'm a shameless self-promoter (not really!), so I'm just going to let you know now that this chapter is based around a Percabeth one-shot that I just published, also called "Fireworks" (coincidence?...I think not!). Please check it out, but first, please enjoy this chapter! Thanks. :)**

As she trudged down the beach eagerly, she waved to her friends, including the Hephaestus kids, who were the ones putting on this fireworks display.

She was going on her first date with Percy.

All day, her stomach had been wound into a tight knot of worry; anxiously she feared that something would go wrong. Maybe she would make a perfect fool of herself. Maybe he wouldn't even be there. After all, she had said "See you at the fireworks?" and ran away, without waiting for his reply.

 _No_ , reprimanded the sensible voice in her head. _This is just a date._

Then she caught sight of him, waiting for her there on the beach, the sun slowly drifting below the water, and the wind rustling his dark hair. As if sensing her there, he turned towards her, their gray and sea-green eyes meeting.

"Annabeth!" he cried with a wave, a radiant smile lighting up his face. She felt the butterflies in her stomach fluttering wildly, and swallowed down the nerves she feared showed on her face.

 _You can do this, Annabeth_ , she told herself, semi-confidently as she walked towards him. _After all, it's just a date..._

 _...your first date._

 **What is your favorite Percabeth moment?**


	86. Pirates

**Another awesome idea, courtesy of** RedGirl.

"Alright, missy, come on," bellowed a grungy bearded man as he grabbed her roughly, hauling her away.

She didn't hesitate in judo-flipping him onto the tiled floor. "Don't ever touch me again," she growled menacingly.

Her victory was short-lived when she heard someone scream. "Hylla! Help!" She turned and saw her sister, cornered against a group of three pirates. She was fighting beautifully, but without weapons she wouldn't last long.

Hylla glanced longingly towards the exit sign; if she left now, she would escape easily.

But then she looked at her sister, and knew that there was no one who could separate her from Reyna. Reyna was the light of her life, her best friend, and she would never leave her, even if it meant they would both be captured.

Racing towards her sister, Hylla thrust the pirates aside, knocking two of them out cold. The third, Reyna disarmed with a swift kick to the crotch. There was barely any time for celebration before both were tossed onto a ship, where they watched as the liberated pirates sailed away, leaving behind C.C.'s Spa and Resort. A prison for the pirates, but a home for the Ramírez-Arellano sisters.

 **Would you rather: be an Amazonian warrior, or a Hunter of Artemis? (Applies to guys too.)**


	87. Date

**Thanks again to** RedGirl **for letting me use this idea. The last few lines were inspired by the last scene in "Captain America: The First Avenger". :)**

The blonde stepped outside, breathing in the fresh morning air. She suddenly remembered her date with Percy. They'd planned a whole day together, including a walk in the woods, pegasus-riding, a picnic on the beach...

"Annabeth!" someone cried, and she turned to see a centaur galloping towards her rapidly. She smiled at him, but the look on his face alerted her that something was wrong.

"Chiron, what is it? What happened?" she demanded, and he held his hands up to calm her.

"Annabeth," he soothed. "Please don't worry. We sent out a search team, and - "

"No," she interrupted, her tone surprisingly cold. A deep knot had rooted itself in her stomach, and it flourished with the feeling of dread accompanying it. "Tell me what's wrong."

He let out a defeated sigh. "It's Percy. He's gone."

"No," she said, terror filling her heart. " _No._ How?"

"We think, although we don't know for sure, that he was taken."

An overwhelming sense of outrage washed over her, and she placed a hand over her heart.

"Annabeth?" questioned Chiron worriedly. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah," she whispered, though it was a complete lie. "Yeah. I just... I had a date."

 **If you could be any mythical creature, which would you be, and why?**


	88. Trapped

**Thank you to** PinkJemLuvsPink **for your stupendous (fancy word, I know) idea. :)**

The Queen of Olympus wouldn't call herself claustrophobic by any means. After all, she had been swallowed by her father as a baby and forced to live inside of his stomach for years.

But that didn't make being trapped in a cage concealed by ice any more fun.

She awoke to a biting chill, and saw she was laying on a thick layer of frost. Quickly she observed that she was trapped in some sort of prison.

After studying the walls of her confining cage and noting with dismay that they were completely impenetrable through the massive layers of ice - her normal godly powers seemed to be dysfunctional, she noticed dejectedly - she did her best not to panic. But the walls seemed to close in on her, and even if it was only her imagination, her breathing became rapid, her thoughts fuzzy, her strength weak.

Before she passed out from the cold and lack of energy, Hera managed to send out three brief dream visions to three different demigods, though it took every last ounce of strength she had.

 _Please,_ she prayed, just as the world went fuzzy, _do not fail me, Jason Grace, Piper McLean, and Leo Valdez._

 **If you could be the god or goddess of something, what would it be and why?**


	89. Volcano

**This was also suggested by** PinkJemLuvsPink.

She skidded to a stop outside of the volcano that loomed up from the ground in a foreboding manner. It seemed to glare back at her, reminding her what a horrible friend she was.

"I shouldn't have left him," she muttered angrily to herself, all the while anxiously watching the volcano's entrance. Any minute now, and she should see a dark-haired boy run out, Riptide in hand like always.

She waited five minutes before deciding that something was wrong. Her body seemed to propel her towards the entrance instinctively, and she felt that she had to reach him. After all, she had kissed him before rushing off, and hadn't seen his reaction. Had he hated it? Did he hate _her_ for leaving him?

But that didn't matter when the entire mountain started to make a low rumbling sound, like thunder. She scrambled backwards and watched in horror as Mount Saint Helens blew her top and erupted for the first time in years.

When the smoke cleared and her lungs were no longer burning, Annabeth stared at the devastated mountain in shock: it was completely destroyed. She suddenly had a sinking feeling that she might never see Percy Jackson again.

 **Which of the Seven do you think has the most interesting backstory?**


	90. Silk

**Thanks to** Jay Hayden **for this idea, and to everyone who reviewed for getting me to 300 reviews! You guys rock! :)**

"Wrench. Hey. Wrench. What are you... Oh gods," sighed the boy, his small shoulders heaving considerably. "Tyson! How did you even get stuck in that position?"

The young cyclops shrugged nonchalantly as he struggled to work his way out of the net he'd ensnared himself in. "I tripped. What is this stuff?"

"Spider's silk," answered Leo immediately; after spending so much time in Bunker 9, he could identify any material lying around. Spider silk, although hard to find when you dropped it on the ground, had proved to be an especially useful material when he sewed the masts together. Or rather, when Piper did it.

He watched as Tyson once again made fruitlessly tried to escape the nearly-invisible net. "It's strong."

Leo nodded eagerly. "You know, this particular net that you're stuck in is made from the silk of a Darwin's bark spider. It's the strongest fiber on earth: six times the strength of steel. The net is also woven from strands of gossamer that were... You're not even listening to me, are you?"

The cyclops held the net between his teeth, a look of excitement on his face, and all he said was, "It tastes like cotton candy!"

 **What is your favorite monster throughout the series?**


	91. Reunion

**A big thank-you to** Nobody **for this amazing idea!**

The two studied each other through pairs of obsidian and gray eyes. The dark-haired girl could tell that, like her, this Greek girl was battle-hardened and capable of leadership. Besides, she had Jason Grace standing alongside her, and she trusted him as much as her own guard dogs, though seeing him with another girl was harder than she had anticipated.

Conjuring up a bit of courage, the daughter of Bellona straightened and said to him, "Jason Grace, my former colleague...I welcome you home. And these, your friends -"

The praetor was cut off as the blonde - Annabeth - suddenly sallied forth without warning. Turning, Reyna saw her collapse into the arms of dark-haired young man with captivating eyes the color of the sea: Percy Jackson. A cold knot of jealousy grew in Reyna's heart as she watched the two, locked in a passionate kiss.

They suddenly pulled away, and Annabeth took advantage of the situation to judo-flip Percy onto the ground, where he landed with a loud thud.

Immediately, the Legion raised their swords, but Reyna cut them off. "Hold! Stand down."

 _There is no danger for Percy here,_ she thought to herself bitterly. _Only my own heart._

 **Who is your favorite Hunter of Artemis? Why?**


	92. Disappearance

**Credit for this idea goes to** hollyhobbit101. **Thanks! (Btw, you guys can request questions in addition to chapter ideas.)**

The sun was shining, birds chirping, and the air conditioner was finally working. For the first time in a month, there was no load of laundry to do, or a pile of dirty dishes waiting for her in the kitchen. The only thing waiting for her there was a steaming-hot cup of coffee.

That, and a new message on the voicemail machine.

She shuffled over to it, her bare feet cold on the tile, and lazily pressed the button to listen to it.

There was nothing but static for a moment, and then what sounded like waves rolling against the shore. She was puzzled, until she realized it was the sound of someone breathing heavily.

"Hi Sally," a familiar voice suddenly said. Sally sipped her coffee quietly. "It's me, Annabeth. I honestly don't know how to tell you this."

Annabeth paused, sighing loudly.

"It's about Percy."

Instantly, Sally stood straighter, and she turned up the volume on the machine. Her heart was beating fast, and she gripped her mug tightly.

"Sally, he's... he's disappeared."

Sally didn't realize she'd dropped her mug until she felt a sharp pain in her foot, where a chip had embedded itself into her skin.

 **Which was worse: Percy's disappearance, or Leo's "death"?**


	93. Labyrinth

**This idea was suggested by** Nyacandy **; thank you! :)**

The boy raced for the forest, his dark hair the perfect camouflage at night. He didn't stop until he reached a pile of boulders in the middle of a clearing. Too emotionally exhausted to go any further, he collapsed onto the mound of rocks, confused, angry, hurt.

He couldn't believe it: his sister, Bianca, was dead. The words sounded fake, like a cruel joke.

But he knew for a fact that what he'd said to Percy was real.

"Go away!" he'd screamed at the son of Poseidon. "I hate you! I wish you were dead!"

He cradled his face in his hands, shocked at the harsh words that had come out of his mouth. Did he really say something that awful?

Dejected, he slumped against the rock pile, only to have it suddenly give way under him. Amazingly, he saw that there was a small opening in the rubble - just big enough for him to squeeze through.

Suddenly, he heard someone in the forest behind him call his name.

"Nico!"

Glancing back at the hole, he weighed his options.

 _Stay, or go?_

With a deep breath, Nico di Angelo slipped into the inky darkness that belonged to the Labyrinth.

 **Which member of the Seven do you think has the best (mortal) parent/guardian?**


	94. Promise

**Shout-out to** Greekgodsrox **for this wonderful idea; thanks!**

Just when the future was looking bright, things took a turn for the worse. As usual.

Annabeth let out a cry of pain and slid towards a hole in the floor where Arachne had just plunged. In the background, Percy could hear Hazel screaming, but he focused on lunging for Annabeth, trying to stop her, but only getting pulled along too.

What was pulling them down? At the same time, they both realized what it was: spider silk, connected to something heavy.

"No. My sword..." If he reached for it to cut them loose, he would have to let go of Annabeth, which he would never do.

Suddenly, the pull increased, and they fell fifteen feet into the pit, though Percy was able to grab a ledge.

"Percy," Annabeth mumbled, only half-conscious. "Let me go. You can't pull me up."

"Never," he promised, gazing at Nico. "The other side, Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?"

"But -"

"Lead them there! Promise me!"

"I - I will."

Then he turned to Annabeth, making a promise of his own. "We're staying together. You're not getting away from me. Never again."

She nodded. "As long as we're together."

And together, they fell into Tartarus.

 **If you could go on one of the quests in the books, which one would you go on?**


	95. Forget

**Everyone please if you have any ideas I would love them, because I will be uploading quite a few chapters the next few days. Also let me know if you want anything special for Chapter #100. Thanks to** darkmagician751 **for this suggestion.**

"Oh my god!" the red-head cried as a boy in front of her spun with a sword wildly. "Do you always kill people when they blow their nose?"

She would have scolded him further, but then he turned, and she felt her breath hitch in her throat.

The dark hair, the sea-green eyes, the gleaming sword...

She realized he was the same boy that had appeared in her recurring dreams in which she chased after a boy. The boy's back was always turned towards her, but when she'd revisited the dream last night, he had turned for the first time. He looked exactly like this boy.

She couldn't let him go, not without finding out more about him. But just as she took her brain off autopilot, the boy began to turn.

"Forget you ever saw me," he advised.

"But who are you?" she asked finally, somewhat desperately.

"Percy," was all he told her, before racing off. And as she watched him run away, just like he had in the dreams, she knew that she would never forget the face of the boy from her dream, and that she wouldn't stop searching for him until she found him again.

 **Do you think that Hera/Juno was justified in the way she handled the whole demigod-swap? Why or why not?**


	96. Urge

**Credit for this idea goes to** darkmagician751. **Don't forget that I'll take any chapter ideas you suggest! :)**

The urge came over her slowly, like a pool being filled with water. It started at the bottom, with her feet.

As she paced back and forth, she found her feet steering her towards the elevator.

Next, the urge spread to her hands, which forced her to press the button marked "one".

As she stepped from the elevator, wiping her clammy hands on her paint-splattered jeans, the urge reached her heart, which thumped furiously in her chest.

 _Be strong,_ she told herself as she exited the Empire State Building, nearing a winged horse the color of tar. Swinging herself up onto the pegasus, who responded to her command surprisingly well, she said it once again. _Be strong._

Just as she was about to take off, Nico raced from the building, calling, "Rachel, where are you going?"

This was it. She could stay here, where she was guaranteed safety, or she could go, where risk was the only thing she was sure of.

But the urge had spread to her mouth, and she couldn't help it. "To Camp. I've got something I need to do."

And with that, the future Oracle of Delphi took to the skies.

 **Do you think that Luke still would have become evil if May didn't go crazy? Why or why not?**


	97. Father

**Thank you to** Mangal Pandey **for this idea. Review please! :)**

He hummed softly to himself as he wove through the crowd of New Yorkers, all the while oblivious to their taunting words through his cloud of innocence. Just as he turned into the alleyway, a raindrop landed on his nose. He glanced up at the sky, noticing how the dark clouds hung over the surrounding area like an ominous umbrella.

The cyclops smiled, returning to his humble home in the alleyway. Crawling into the cardboard box, the breeze poking through the holes, he suddenly caught wind of a strong scent, and the filthy alleyway transformed itself.

He imagined he was standing on a shore, the rolling waves a blur of white as they crashed on the sand. Next to him stood a middle-aged man with a kind face, which was a little blurry, just as it always was in these daydreams.

Thunder cracked, and when he opened his eyes again, the air still smelled salty, as if a hurricane had just swept through the alleyway and left no trace of it being there, save for the scent of the sea which still lingered.

Somehow, Tyson felt like it was the way his father - whoever he was - watched over him.

 **Which Percy Jackson movie did you like (or hate) more, and why?**


	98. Worries

**Thank you,** GEM, **for this fantastic idea! REVIEW! :)**

The crew of the _Argo II_ finally landed, but before leaving, five held a meeting in the lounge, and two stayed in the other room.

There was a pregnant pause throughout the ship for a moment, in which the entire crew was thoughtfully silent, left only to silently contemplate their worries.

 _Why did I have to fire on Camp Jupiter? Won't Frank and Hazel be homesick from these Greek pictures?_

 _Shouldn't Jason have healed already? What if I'm useless on this quest?_

 _Am I treating Piper like my maid? Shouldn't I be out there with the rest of them, helping to lead instead of lying here?_

 _Why does Leo look like Sammy? What if I get sent back to the Underworld?_

 _What's going on between Leo and Hazel? What if my powers stop working?_

 _Why does Percy like Camp Jupiter so much? What if I can't help my mother?_

 _What if I can't lead them? What if I lose Annabeth again? What if I fail them again, like I failed Bianca, Nico, Beckendorf, Silena, Zoe, Ethan, and Luke?_

A full minute of questions lingered before one demigod finally spoke up, breaking the spell. "So we've landed. What now?"

 **When do you first start reading Percy Jackson?**


	99. Picnic

**Thanks to** FallingForAFictionalCharacter1 **for this BRILLIANT idea!**

The boy walked out from under the magnolia tree to survey the scene before him in a critical manner.

He'd lain a quilted blanket out - one his _abuela_ had made for him when he'd been born - and cleared away any branches near it, so that only a few white magnolia blossoms resided near the blanket.

On the picnic blanket itself was a vast array of simple foods that would have looked like a miniature feast to anybody. Fresh apples, freshly plucked; enchiladas, which his mother had prepared the night before. And of course, the crowned jewel of the whole picnic: the cupcake. The boy had had nearly forgotten about it, but he'd managed to convince his neighbor down the street who owned a bakery to make one for him at the last minute.

Content with the picnic layout, he sighed. He really wanted to tell her how he felt. They'd been friends for so long, he was afraid to ruin their friendship. But he knew he had to tell her, or else he'd regret it for the rest of his life.

Gathering his courage, Sammy strode off to meet Hazel for what he considered to be their first date.

 **Who do you think is better with Hazel: Sammy or Frank?**


	100. Kiss

**100 chapters! Wow! Thank you so much to everyone so far, I really appreciate all of the support, more than you'll ever know. Thanks for continuing to be awesome. Heads up: I'm going to camp for a week, so I won't be able to update until next Saturday. See you then, but for now, please enjoy Chapter 100! :) Lots and lots of love, as always...**

She was interrupted by the war-cries of a dozen teenagers, and the pair of demigods were suddenly lifted into the air and dragged towards the shore.

The blonde's protests were drowned out by the roars of laughter coming from her friends as they gave one final heave and tossed her and the son of Poseidon into the water.

She grabbed his hand, and the two slowly sank towards the bottom of the lake. Up above they could hear the congratulatory chatter amongst the campers, but the sound faded the further down they swam.

It was beautiful under the water, and the daughter of Athena really didn't want to go back up. She glanced at Percy, wondering if he was thinking the same thing.

With a mischievous smile, he created an air bubble around the two of them which encased them fully. He assured her it would last hours, at least, although their friends up above certainly didn't know that. So instead of evacuating the situation like she normally would have, she enjoyed her time on the bottom of the lake: the brilliantly-colored coral, the exotic-looking fish, the brilliance of Percy Jackson's eyes, and the softness of his lips.

 **If you were an immortal god and could live forever, what would you do?**


	101. Son

**Hey everyone, I'm back! Thanks for all of the amazing reviews, I loved reading them and I wish I could hug all of you. :) This idea came from** Nobody **; thanks! Enjoy!**

He turned away from his brother in a huff and his eyes landed on a frightened figure loitering in the doorway. The angry tension in his shoulders instantly melted away, replaced by a sort of relieved joy that he hadn't felt in decades.

"Peace, brother," he said, attempting to calm both his son and his brother. After several minutes of brittle conversation, the dark-haired boy still hadn't met his eyes. Somewhat desperately, he said, "Perseus. Look at me."

And to the god's surprise, he did. But instead of seeing a 12-year-old, he saw three people: himself, reflected in the sea-green eyes; Sally, in his determined jawline; and a third, entirely new person that the god had never seen before. A boy who had transformed from that little laughing baby in the crib to a hardened young hero in the amount of time it took for the god to blink. With cold regret, the sea god realized he had missed his son's entire childhood. He swallowed, a strong sense of determination washing over him.

"Whatever else you do," Poseidon told Percy, just as he was leaving, "know that you are mine. You are a true son of the Sea God."

 **Who do you think would have been better for Luke: Annabeth or Thalia? Why?**


	102. Madness

TheCreatorWithBlackHands **suggested this idea, so thank you!**

"You don't even care! You'd just as soon watch us die!"

The words that came from the 14-year-old took the god by surprise. He turned away from the boy's glaring green eyes and faced his fridge, pretending to sort through its contents thoughtfully, though all the while he was being weighed down by his guilt.

Eventually, he turned around to face the image of Poseidon's son through the mist, suggesting in what he hoped was an allusive tone, "You could _ask_ for help. You could say please."

 _Please, just say it_ , he pleaded mentally with the boy as he watched the demigods through the Iris Message raising their weapons and preparing to meet their end.

Reluctantly, he muttered, "Please Mr. D. Help."

Instantly, the god of wine's vision went purple and his nostrils filled with the scent of grapes and wine. He focused his power and struck the minds of the manticore's guards, watching with childlike glee as they erupted into a chaotic craze.

Content with their madness, he turned his attention to the manticore, and turned him into a bundle of grapes and vines.

"Well," Dionysus said, trying to mask his relief with nonchalance, "that was fun."

 **Which form of the god do you like better: Dionysus or Bacchus?**


	103. Teacher

**Credit goes to** SeaSpree **for this fantastic idea!**

The classroom was chaos. Spit balls whizzed past his face, and paper airplanes glided around the room leisurely as the teacher entered the room, but he cleared his throat, and the chatter instantly ceased.

"Good morning, class," he addressed them with a warm smile on his face, and he noticed some of the tension instantly going out of the shoulders of the sixth graders as they realized that he may actually be a nice teacher. "Welcome to your first day at Yancy Academy," he went on, writing his name on the chalkboard. "My name is -"

The teacher was suddenly cut off as the door to the classroom banged open, and a green-eyed boy skidded in. His dark hair was in disarray, as if he'd woken up moments earlier.

"I'm really sorry," he apologized to the teacher. "I overslept," was his only explanation.

Mr. Brunner nodded in understanding, deciding not to press questions. He had a feeling that this boy was the one he'd been looking for.

"If you'll take a seat please, Mr...?"

Gratefully, the boy plopped down in a chair, replying, "Percy Jackson."

"Well then, Mr. Jackson," said the teacher with another smile. "Welcome to Latin I."

 **Have any of you ever re-read the series? If so, how many times?**


	104. Pathetic

**A huge thank-you to** Django XD **for this brilliant suggestion!**

 _You're pathetic. You're pathetic!_

The words echoed in the girl's mind as she leapt from the flaming ship onto a lifeboat below, her face smeared with black soot and her brown hair singed at the ends from the fire.

Abandoning her ship like this - the only thing her father had really ever trusted her with - she couldn't help but feel as pathetic as he'd reminded her she was.

Pathetic. That's all she was, and all she ever would be: a failure.

It certainly didn't help to boost her self-confidence when, once she, her crew, and Annabeth had drifted a fair distance away from the ship, scraps of metal and flakes of ashes raining down on them, there was a massive explosion behind them. She watched in horror as the ship that she had worked so hard for exploded into a million pieces.

"No!" she cried in anguish , earning her an odd look from Annabeth, but the daughter of Ares didn't have the energy to care. Once again, she had disappointed her father and everyone else.

 _You're pathetic._

And though she didn't want to believe that it was true, Clarisse La Rue couldn't help but feel that her father was right.

 **Sorry for that sort-of-sad and, well, pathetic ending, but that's just how I picture Clarisse's thoughts were at that time in the book. :)**

 **Who did you dislike more (at the beginning of PJO): Clarisse La Rue or Nancy Bobofit?**


	105. Protect

**Thank you to** Greekgodsrox **for this great suggestion!**

They had nearly made it halfway across the bridge when she saw a flash of silver: a knife, about the same size as the one Luke had given her. It belonged to a boy with a cruel smile and greasy hair that fell carelessly over his eyepatch: Ethan Nakamura, son of Nemesis.

She had only seconds to register what he was doing: creeping up on Percy, who stood next to her, brandishing the knife like a sword. And at that point, she wasn't really sure _what_ came over her, but she leapt in front of Ethan, shielding Percy's back with her own body. As she collapsed to to the ground, her vision went foggy, and when she pulled her hand away from her stomach, her palm was sticky with red blood. She hadn't even felt him stab her, though she'd heard the sound of her own voice crying out in pain.

"Get back!" she heard Percy cry, and she was surprised to hear the anguish in his voice. When she glanced up, she could barely make out the fuzzy outline of a dark-haired boy, pushing everyone away from her, protecting her, and shouting, "No one touches her!"

 **What did you think about Percy losing the Curse of Achilles? (Did you like it/ hate it?)**


	106. Traffic

**Sorry for not updating for a few days, but school started today (ugh), so I should be back on track with my updates. Thank you to  
** Writer-at-Heart0 **for the suggestion, which I only half-did because his sister isn't born yet.** ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ **Sorry, but I hope you still enjoy it. :)**

He drove the car listlessly, navigating the New York traffic as thoughts whizzed through his brain at the speed of light, so distracted that he didn't notice he was in the midst of a traffic jam until the car in front of him stopped suddenly.

" _Di immortales!_ " he cursed as he slammed on the brakes.

 _Focus,_ a small voice in his head told him; or rather, it was the voice of a certain blonde daughter of Athena scolding him. _Honestly, Seaweed Brain, where is your head today?_

He knew where: he had just come from his mom's apartment, where he'd been told some big news: he was going to have a younger sister.

It wasn't' that he was upset about it; he actually loved the thought of being an older brother. But it was the idea of bringing a little girl into this world - this crazy, screwed-up world, filled with monsters, giants, and evil gods - that worried him.

But again, he heard Annabeth's voice telling him teasingly, _Don't worry, Percy. Anyone related to you is going to be plenty tough._

And for the first time since hearing the news, Percy smiled, driving forward to navigate the traffic once again.

 **If you could say a canon crossover of Percy Jackson with any other series, what would it be, and why?**


	107. Distant

**Credit for this idea goes to** Mangal Pandey: **thank you! (Btw, I did Luke's POV since Chapter 66 was Annabeth's version of this scene.)**

He watched her from a distance, her blonde hair swirling around her head like a golden crown and her gray eyes as startling as the sky that he balanced on his back. In the past, seeing her that way, so strong and spirited, would have stirred pride in him, and at one point, maybe even a trace of romantic feelings.

But now, he felt nothing.

It was as if he was watching her from a distant dream, even when she had walked up the hill and was standing in front of him, her gray eyes brimming with worry.

But still, he felt nothing.

He called out to the daughter of Athena, and once again, it felt distant, like he was hearing his voice from far away. Even as she crouched next to him to help him support the weight of the sky: distant. And as he left her, forcing her to hold the sky by herself: distant.

It was only when the son of Hermes stepped back and looked at her that he did not feel distant. It seemed it was impossible to be distant from the situation with Annabeth's beautiful gray eyes begging, _pleading_ Luke Castellan to change.

 **Have you read any of Rick Riordan's non-Greek series? If so, which ones?**


	108. Heartless

**A huge thanks to** Nobody **for this superb suggestion!**

 _Will you hide among the dead, as you always do?_

The god's voice was cruel and mocking in his mind, nothing like the adorably high-pitched voice of a baby-faced deity that the son of Hades had imagined. Cupid was the opposite of the image plastered all everywhere on Valentine's Day, or the mischievous-looking young boy seen on one of his Mythomagic cards from his childhood.

As ironic as it was, the god of love was heartless.

The sheer enormity of the boy's pent-up emotions finally overtook him, and he wasn't able to suppress the wall of emotion anymore; the dam broke, and he could physically feel the flood of emotions that filled the room, rushing into the minds of both Eros and Jason.

The son of Hades watched as Jason registered the younger boy's feelings: about Annabeth, about Percy, about love in general, and something in him snapped. The realization on Jason's face forced him to feel the same shame he had worn for the past few years, and like the god of love, Nico di Angelo suddenly felt completely heartless.

"I hated myself," he admitted, bitterness coating his usually-smooth voice in a brittle tone. "I hated Percy Jackson."

 **Sorry for another not-so-happy ending, but** **c'est la vie.**

 **Were you scared of any of the monsters in the books?**


	109. Vision

**Sorry that this chapter was messed-up before, but obviously is fixed now. Thanks again to** Nobody **for this awesome idea! :)**

Wow, he thought merrily, munching away on the muffin he had just bought inside the store. The muffin...and its wrapper. This is so tasty. And warm. Reminds me of enchiladas at school...

"...do the tracking spell," Zoe was saying. "Grover," she said, and he looked up quickly, hoping he hadn't missed anything important. "Do you have any acorns left?"

He swallowed, embarrassed that he had been so distracted by a muffin wrapper. "Umm. I think so. I just need to - "

Suddenly, he stopped.

The world flipped upside down, and the satyr felt himself taken away from the real world. It was as if the wind that had just blown through was lifting him away from his body, away from the group of demigods and Hunters with him. He sensed things he had never seen before, without even having to see: trees that were bursting with life, rivers that flowed across vast lands where buffalo roamed, mountains that zigzagged across the skyline, flocks of birds that dotted the sky in majestic sweeps of wings, and deep valleys that were so steep the bottom was unidentifiable.

The force of Pan's vision of nature swept over Grover, and he collapsed.

 **Do you think that Grover was a good protector? Why or why not?**


	110. Routine

**Thank you to the** **people who helped me by telling me the website was messed up last chapter; I really really appreciate it!**

When she was in elementary school - back before she was shipped off to that pretentious Yancy Academy - she began every day with a routine.

After her mother shouting at her to get dressed, the redhead would throw on some clothes - not even bothering to brush her hair - before wolfing down some cereal and shoving past her brothers and sisters to squeeze out the door.

There was never a day where any of the Bobofits said "good morning" or "goodbye" to one another.

After purposefully stomping through the yard, the girl lingered at the bus stop, glaring at any of the other kids who dared to steal a glance at her.

When the bus finally showed up, she stuck out her tongue at the bus driver before continuing with her routine: she climbed onto the vehicle, forced some first graders to give her their seats, stole a kindergartener's lunch box, and gave the occasional nerd a well-deserved wedgie.

And that was all before the bus had even pulled away from the bus stop.

So although Nancy Bobofit's routine was brutal, at least it was consistent, if nothing else.

That is, until she met a scrawny little kid named Percy Jackson.

 **Why do you think that Nancy was always so mean to Percy and Grover?**


	111. One

**I promise I'm not done writing your suggestions, but for Chapter "111" I just HAD to do** ** _something_** **involving a one! It would be a sin otherwise. ;)**

 _You will always be the outsider, the seventh wheel._

"Seventh wheel," he muttered bitterly. "Yeah right."

He flipped some switches on the control board before turning to one of a work table he'd set up; he liked to come in here by himself, whether it was to think about something, or do the opposite, like now, and _not_ think about something.

But as hard as he tried to, the son of Hephaestus just couldn't get the goddess of revenge's words out of his mind.

The Latino thought about his friends: they were all seated in the other room, laughing and talking to each other about who knows what. Probably couple-y stuff.

Frank and Hazel - the world's youngest elderly couple - were likely holding hands under the table, thinking it was so scandalous. Piper would probably be curled up next to Jason on a couch somewhere, the two of them excluding him as usual. And as for Percy and Annabeth... Well, he usually liked to keep his thoughts PG.

 _No._

He disposed of those thoughts, knowing they were unhealthy, and told himself that he was alright with being alone. After all, "Team Leo" could operate just fine with only one person.

 **Do you like it better when Leo is a "ladies man" and single, or when he's with Calypso?**


	112. Illusion

**Thank you,** Greedgodsrox, **for your idea! It definitely got my imagination gears spinning... :)**

The son of Hermes felt confined, as if at any moment he would suffocate from his own fear, although when he reached out to touch the walls, he only groped air.

 _My name is Mary_.

A young girl's words somehow filled the darkness, along with a bright flash. Once it faded, he saw a young girl; she looked innocent, but was surrounded by an aura of timelessness and power, as well as a soft glow. Her eyes were silver, her dress white, her skin transparent.

She was a ghost.

"You're an illusion, Mary!" He cried, backing away. "G-get away!"

 _Alright,_ she said sadly. _I'll go..._

She began to fade away, the light disappearing with her, and he suddenly noticed that the pit of blackness had surrounded him again.

"It's dark! So dark!" He cried, terror rocking his body.

 _Quickly,_ she said gravely, as she suddenly appeared right in front of him, the light returning with her. _How is he staying alive?_

"A...a thousand skulls," he stuttered. "The earth keeps healing him."

 _Please_ , _Chris Rodriguez,_ she cried out desperately. _How do I get out of here?_

"There's no way out, Mary," Chris informed her with dismay. "No way out."

 **Jeez, I'm getting the creeps just** ** _thinking_** **about what went on in Chris's head.**

 **On that note, for the question I'd like to know what** ** _you_** **thought Chris was picturing in that scene in the Battle of the Labyrinth. (Please answer, I'm honestly really curious to know because it's never explained in the books.)**


	113. Hero

**Thank you** FanFiction'BoutPJIsLife **for this wonderful idea! Also, my incredibly amazing readers, is there any chance we can reach 400 reviews for this chapter? ;)**

"Family, Luke." She pleaded with desperate gray eyes, ignoring the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. "You promised."

"Promise," he murmured in response. "Annabeth..." he suddenly gasped, and a sense of restored hope surged through her.

"The knife, Percy," she said, interrupting him as she turned towards the son of Poseidon. "Hero...cursed blade..."

"Please, Percy..." pleaded Luke, the agony in his face mirrored in the decay of his hands.

The knife in her hand seemed to burn against her skin with the power it held: that blade, that would determine whether a boy died as a villain, or as a hero.

"You can't...can't do it yourself," the son of Hermes warned Percy as he writhed on the ground in pain. He was now alarmingly pale, yet his blue eyes till resisted the gold threatening to shine through.

The reluctance slowly faded from Percy's face, as he realized what Annabeth had been trying to tell him all along: he was not the hero. Not this time.

As he thrust the knife into his armpit, words from the prophecy raced through her mind, one final verdict on Luke Castellan's life:

 _The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap._

 **Do you have a favorite prophecy?**


	114. Hopeless

**Ugh guys I am soooo sorry, but you know how life gets. Anyway, thank you to** cghe **for this idea!**

"Percy," the girl whispered. "What's wrong?"

The son of Poseidon offered her a blank stare.

"You can tell me," she pleaded, resting her hand on his gently.

At that, he looked up, and there was such sorrow in his eyes that she felt compelled to draw her hand away.

"It's just..," he lamented. "Remember when we were standing outside the doors, and we saw that huge army of monsters? Well, I recognized some. I'd killed some before. And it made me realize: We might kill a monster, and somehow manage to survive, but one day we'll die, while they keep coming back. It just seems hopeless. Doesn't that terrify you?"

"Honestly...yes," she said, surprising herself. Where was the hard armor that the daughter of Athena always forced herself to wear? For once, she decided to abandon it.

"But I think that's what makes it even more important that we keep trying. Our friends and family depend on us, so we have to be strong."

"And," Annabeth added, taking his hand and staring into his eyes, "even if it feels like the world is trying to separate us, just know that nothing, nothing, will keep us apart ever again."

 **If you could have saved Bob/Iapetus or Damasen, which one would you have saved?**


	115. Eidolon

**A massive thank-you to** Django XD **for this suggestion. (Btw, I struggled WAY too hard with how to spell "eidolon", haha)**

The spirit floated around idly, searching for someone, to plague with his presence: it didn't take long for him to choose the scrawny son of Hephaestus. As he entered the demigod's body and forced him to give up control, he grinned maniacally, though he was sure to quickly replace it with an easy smile.

Once on board the _Argo II_ , he didn't even waste time in pretending to show the legacy of Apollo around the ship; instead, he shoved the boy aside, loving the satisfying sound of his head hitting the deck.

He relied on the Hephaestus spawn's natural knowledge of the ship to navigate its controls, a task that would have been impossible for him to do had he been possessing anyone else's body.

In less than ten seconds, he had already calmly loaded the ballista, and with an almost giddy excitement, he released the explosives onto the forum of Camp Jupiter below.

The whole scenario was perfect, he realized with childlike joy: a first-hand witness here on the ship, dozens of witnesses down at camp, and no one to place the blame on except for poor, unfortunate Leo Valdez.

And only the eidolon would know the truth.

 **If Leo hadn't fired on Camp Jupiter, do you think the two camps would still have gotten into a war? Why or why not?**


	116. Sacrifice

**I'd like to thank** Greekgodsrox **for another awesome idea. :) Btw, I couldn't find any actual text in the books for this scene, so the dialogue comes from the movie (even though I hate it).**

"We're almost at camp!" cried the boy next to her.

 _Almost there_.

Just then, a roar pierced the night, and a massive tree trunk whizzed towards them. She managed to roll away, but Grover wasn't so lucky.

"Grover!" she cried as he collapsed to the ground.

"Luke, help him!" she called to the blonde boy.

"Grover, are you okay?" asked Luke frantically, not sure exactly how to help.

"My leg..." groaned the satyr. "It's stuck..."

Suddenly, another scream rattled the trees, and the daughter of Athena felt a chill travel down her spine. She turned and saw dozens of monsters approaching them, all of them like horrible creatures from a nightmare.

"Keep going," the daughter of Zeus ordered, squaring her shoulders. "I'll hold them off."

"No, Thalia! They'll kill you!" the blonde girl cried, leaping to her feet.

"Come on, Annabeth!" cried Luke, grabbing her hand and dragging her along with him, Grover leaning on his shoulder.

Annabeth looked over her shoulder one last time, and her friend, her _sister_ , gave her a warm, reassuring smile, her blue eyes confident. "I'll be right behind you."

Those were the last words Thalia Grace said, before she made the ultimate sacrifice.

 **Which character in the series do you think made the biggest sacrifice? (Thalia, Bianca, Bob/Iapetus, etc...)**


	117. Pipes

**Thank you to** Greekgodsrox **for helping me fix this chapter!  
**

With the wonderment of a small child, he watched as a nurse exited the delivery room, her arms gently cradling a swaddle.

"Are you the grandfather?" she asked after giving him a quick once-over.

"Call me Tom," he said with a pleasant handshake, a desperate attempt at subduing his fingers that were just itching to hold that little bundle of blankets.

As if sensing this desire, the kind nurse smiled, asking him, "Would you like to hold her?"

"Yes, please," breathed the white-haired man, reaching forward to hold the pink-faced baby. You could practically see him melt as his granddaughter sank into his arms.

The woman continued. "All the tests look good: her breathing is normal, hearing and vision fine, and her lungs -"

The baby then chose that moment to speak up, and a series of ear-shattering cries poured out of her mouth.

The nurse laughed good-naturedly. "Well, as you can see, her lungs are just fine."

"She's certainly got a good set of pipes on her," agreed the man with a smile. "No doubt she'll be the best singer in our family when she's older."

Pipes... Piper, he thought with awe. What a nice name that would be.

 **Out of all the demigods and mortals in the books, whose name do you like best? (For example, my favorite names are Zoe Nightshade and Grover Underwood.)**


	118. Choosing

**I am SO sorry, I can't believe it's been almost a week since my last update! I've just been trying to adjust to school and everything, but I'm in the middle of my 4th week now, so things should be more routine now. Thanks so much for your incredible patience and kind reviews. :)**

"Try to settle down, guys," the daughter of Athena asked in a firm yet friendly tone.

"The Prophecy of Seven," continued the boy, "basically just says that seven demigods will have to work together to complete a quest, but we hope to figure out more by studying the Sibylline Books, where the prophecy originally came from. Any questions?"

Clarisse's hand shot up immediately. "Jason, who are the demigods going to be?"

He rubbed his neck thoughtfully. "Annabeth and I discussed it with Chiron, and he thinks the two of us should go since we're so involved. We also figured that Percy Jackson would go too, once we meet him at Camp Jupiter. We'll probably ask two Roman demigods to join us too, so it'll be even between the two camps."

She widened her eyes expectantly. "That means you need two more Greek campers." She glanced quickly at Chris by her side, as if to drop a subtle hint. "Right?"

Annabeth, thankfully, broke the news to her so Jason wouldn't have to. "Sorry, Clarisse, but we've already elected to take Piper because of her charmspeak, and Leo since he's building the ship."

The daughter of Ares slumped, but nodded anyway.

 **Would you have picked anyone else besides the chosen demigods to go on the quest? (Examples: Clarisse, Reyna, Nico, etc.)**


	119. Immortal

**A big thank-you to** Gnomeslayer0312 **for giving me this great idea!**

The god's voice boomed across the chamber like thunder. "The Council agrees: Percy Jackson, you will have one gift from the gods."

"Any gift?" asked the boy.

The girl didn't pay attention until she heard an alarming word. "...you shall be made a god. _Immortal_. Undying..."

 _Immortal_?! She thought, a cold feeling consuming her.

Percy seemed startled too. "Um...a god?"

 _No,_ she panicked. If Percy became a god, he would live on Mount Olympus with the other gods, and she would never see her best friend again.

 _No,_ she begged silently, squeezing her eyes shut. _No, please. No._

"No," said Percy.

"No?!" roared Zeus.

"No?" whispered Annabeth.

Her gray eyes flew open, and she couldn't believe the son of Poseidon hadn't been zapped into oblivion yet, based on Zeus's expression.

Percy must have noticed too."I'm honored and everything," he quickly backpedaled in an apologetic yet firm tone. "Don't get me wrong. It's just..."

He glanced back at her at that moment, smiling. "I've got a lot of life to live."

At that moment, Annabeth didn't even care about the streaming tears. All she knew was that Percy was there, and that they would never, ever be separated.

 **The Lost Hero proved her so wrong.**

 **Do you agree with Percy's choice to turn down immortality? Would** ** _you_** **have said yes?**


	120. New

**Ugh sorry for another late update. And thank you to** Unicute17 **for this suggestion!**

" _Who is she?_ "

" _Who do you think her parent is?_ "

" _I wonder where she came from..._ "

The fervent whispers reminded her that she was now "the new girl".

Tempted as she was to avoid the intense gazes of everyone around her, the dark-haired girl would not allow herself to be so meek: not after everything she'd been through.

So instead, she asked with a strong voice that reached all who surrounded her: "Who is your leader?"

Two individuals wearing purple robes emerged from the crowd: one a girl, the other a man younger than 25. I there was any difference in their rank because of their gender, she couldn't tell; they carried themselves as equals.

"That would be us," said the girl as she extended her hand, smiling. "Welcome to Camp Jupiter."

The man scrutinized her, a careful look on his face. "If you managed to get here, you must be a demigod. So who is your parent?"

"Bellona," she answered with a slight frown.

"And what is your name?"

Her frown deepened; it said a lot that they had asked her her parent before her name. But still, she replied with a voice of steel, "Reyna Ramirez-Arellano."

 **Do you think that Reyna met Lupa, like Jason did?**


	121. Janitor

**Thank you to** TheCreatorWithBlackHands **for this suggestion; (btw, to you and** Nobody, **Chapters 73 and 74 are the already-existing chapters of what you two suggested. Thanks anyway!)**

There was plenty of work for a janitor in the Underworld.

While the custodian worked, he hummed an obscure little tune under his breath, and moving away from Hades' and Persephone' thrones, he swapped his mop for a push broom, switching to a low whistle.

"Sweep, sweep, sweep," he added on for a primitive set of lyrics, nodding his head to the beat of the broom's bristles thwacking against the floor. And when he was sure nobody was watching, he broke out into an endearingly awkward dance.

Suddenly, from off in the distance, the Titan distinctly heard someone say his name. He recognized the voice: it was his friend, the one the son of Hades had told him about. Nico had said that the son of Poseidon was very nice, and that he could trust him. So he did.

Now, though, his friend was in trouble, and the silver-haired Titan knew he had to help him. "Must go save friend," he said aloud in an almost-awed tone, before he regained his wits. As if in a daze, he glided out of the palace, steadily gaining speed as the determination set in. "Bob must go save Percy Jackson."

 **Do you think that Percy should have visited Bob when he worked as a janitor, or do you think he was justified in forgetting about him?**


End file.
